PubMed · 10398864
Does adrenaline modulate the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger in isolated toad pacemaker cells?
Abstract
beta-Adrenergic stimulation of pacemaker cells from the sinus venosus of the cane toad (Bufo marinus) increases intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) and firing rate. The increase in [Ca2+]i could contribute to the increased firing rate by increasing the inward Na+-Ca2+ exchange current (INa-Ca) during diastole. In this study we measured [Ca2+]i and membrane currents in single, isolated, voltage-clamped pacemaker cells. We show that INa-Ca increases during beta-adrenergic stimulation. To test whether this increase in INa-Ca is caused by elevated [Ca2+]i or by changes in the properties of the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger, we made rapid applications of caffeine and plotted the INa-Ca against [Ca2+]i. This relationship was linear during the declining phase of the [Ca2+]i signal caused by caffeine and was not significantly different in the presence or absence of beta stimulation. These results show that INa-Ca is increased during beta-adrenergic stimulation and will contribute to the increased firing rate. However the increase in INa-Ca appears to be a consequence of the increase in [Ca2+]i and is not caused by changes in the intrinsic properties of the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger.
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Y K Ju, D G Allen. 1999. Does adrenaline modulate the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger in isolated toad pacemaker cells?. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004240050918
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