Academic literature on the topic 'Calcium transient duration'

A more complete understanding of calcium's role in cell division requires knowledge of the timing, magnitude, and duration of changes in cytoplasmic-free calcium, [Ca2+]i, associated with specific mitotic events. To define the temporal relationship of changes in [Ca2+]i to cellular and chromosomal movements, we have measured [Ca2+]i every 6-7 s in single-dividing Pt K2 cells using fura-2 and microspectrophotometry, coupling each calcium measurement with a bright-field observation. In the 12 min before discernable chromosome some separation, 90% of metaphase cells show at least one transient of increased [Ca2+]i, 72% show their last transient within 5 min, and a peak of activity is seen at 3 min before chromosome separation. The mean [Ca2+]i of the metaphase transients is 148 +/- 31 nM (61 transients in 35 cells) with an average duration of 21 +/- 14 s. The timing of these increases makes it unlikely that these transient increases in [Ca2+]i are acting directly to trigger the start of anaphase. However, it is possible that a transient rise in calcium during late metaphase is part of a more complex progression to anaphase. In addition to these transient changes, a gradual increase in [Ca2+]i was observed starting in late anaphase. Within the 2 min surrounding cytokinesis onset, 82% of cells show a transient increase in [Ca2+]i to 171 +/- 48 nM (53 transients in 32 cells). The close temporal correlation of these changes with cleavage is consistent with a more direct role for calcium in this event, possibly by activating the contractile system. To assess the specificity of these changes to the mitotic cycle, we examined calcium changes in interphase cells. Two-thirds of interphase cells show no transient increases in calcium with a mean [Ca2+]i of 100 +/- 18 nM (n = 12). However, one-third demonstrate dramatic and repeated transient increases in [Ca2+]i. The mean peak [Ca2+]i of these transients is 389 +/- 70 nM with an average duration of 77 s. The necessity of any of these transient changes in calcium for the completion of mitotic or interphase activities remains under investigation.

Skeletal muscle fibers enzymatically dissociated from adult mouse flexor digitorum brevis muscles were maintained in culture for up to 8 days. After various times in culture, fibers were loaded with fura 2, and Ca2+ transients for trains of 1, 5, and 10 action potentials (100 Hz) triggered by external electrical stimulation were calculated from fluorescence ratio records corrected for noninstantaneous reaction of fura 2 with Ca2+. The decay rate constants of Ca2+ transients decreased with increasing stimulation duration, indicating a slowing of the Ca(2+)-removal properties with increased stimulation duration. After 6 days in culture, Ca2+ decay rate constants decreased dramatically for all stimulation durations and the differences in decay rate constants among 1, 5, and 10 pulses became smaller. Intracellular parvalbumin content measured by single-fiber immunofluorescence decreased with time in culture in parallel with the decrease in the decay rate constant of Ca2+ transients. Our results suggest that there is a correlation between parvalbumin content and the decay rate constant of the Ca2+ transient.

Presynaptic calcium influx at the inhibitor of the crayfish neuromuscular junction was investigated by measuring fluorescence transients generated by calcium-sensitive dyes. This approach allowed us to correlate presynaptic calcium influx with transmitter release at a high time resolution. Systematic testing of the calcium indicators showed that only low-affinity dyes, with affinities in the range of micromolar, should be used to avoid saturation of dye binding and interference with transmitter release. Presynaptic calcium influx was regulated by slowly increasing the duration of the action potential through progressive block of potassium channels. The amplitude of the calcium transient, measured from a cluster of varicosities, was linearly related to the duration of the action potential with a slope of 1.2. Gradual changes in potassium channel block allowed us to estimate the calcium cooperativity of transmitter release over a 10-fold range in presynaptic calcium influx. Calcium cooperativity measured here exhibited one component with an average value of 3.1. Inspection of simultaneously recorded presynaptic calcium transients and inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) showed that prolonged action potentials were associated with a slow rising phase of presynaptic calcium transients, which were matched by a slow rate of rise of IPSCs. The close correlation suggests that fluorescence transients provide information on the rate of calcium influx. Because there is an anatomic mismatch between the presynaptic calcium transient, measured from a cluster of varicosities, and IPSC, measured with two-electrode voltage clamp, macropatch recording was used to monitor inhibitory postsynaptic responses from the same cluster of varicosities from which the calcium transient was measured. Inhibitory postsynaptic responses recorded with the macropatch method exhibited a faster rising phase than that recorded with two-electrode voltage clamp. This difference could be attributed to slight asynchrony of transmitter release due to action potential conduction along fine branches. In conclusion, this report shows that fluorescence transients generated by calcium-sensitive dyes can provide insights to the properties of presynaptic calcium influx, and its correlation with transmitter release, at a high time resolution.

The objective of this study was to establish whether tissues that are energy compromised, but not energy depleted, demonstrate exaggerated calcium transients when subjected to membrane depolarizations of the spreading depression (SD) type. Anesthetized and artificially ventilated rats were given insulin in order to induce progressively lower plasma glucose concentrations. Spreading depression was elicited by local application of KCl; extracellular calcium concentration (Ca2+e) as well as direct current (DC) potential were recorded. When plasma glucose concentration fell below ∼3 m M, the duration of the Ca2+e transient gradually increased to values exceeding 500% of control. The increase was associated with a corresponding increase in the duration of the DC potential shift, but the amplitude of the Ca2+e transient did not change. It is concluded that a restriction of glucose (or oxygen) supply, as occurs in hypoglycemia (or hypoxia), prolongs the calcium transient associated with depolarization of the SD type, even though tissue phosphocreatine and ATP concentrations are normal. The results support the contention that repeated depolarizations, occurring in the penumbral zone of a focal ischemic lesion, could lead to calcium-related damage.

Fertilization in mammals is associated with repetitive elevations in the oocytes’ intracellular free calcium concentration. The elevations are triggered by the fertilizing sperm and are responsible for stimulating embryo development. In mouse oocytes, the sperm-induced calcium signal starts with a calcium rise that is larger and longer in duration than any succeeding transients. It also has unique characteristics: it begins with a rapid increase for 2–3 s followed by a shoulder, which is an inflection point that represents a brief decline in the rise of calcium levels. Once calcium level reaches its maximum, it decreases but remains elevated for several minutes while it is superimposed by several smaller calcium spikes. In bovine oocytes the situation is somewhat different. In this species, the first sperm-induced calcium transient is larger than the additional spikes but it lacks the sustained elevation phase and is not superimposed by small calcium rises. In the present study our purpose was to characterise the first sperm-induced calcium transient in pig oocytes. Oocytes were obtained from ovaries of prepubertal gilts collected at an abattoir and matured in vitro for 44 h. Mature oocytes were loaded with the calcium indicator dye fura-2; subsequently, they were either IVF or used for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Changes in their intracellular free calcium concentration were then immediately monitored using InCyt Im2, a dual-wavelength fluorescence imaging system. Characteristics of the first transients (including amplitude and duration) were compared to those of the additional ones using Student’s t-test. We found that in oocytes that underwent IVF (n = 11), the oscillations started 83.4 ± 23.2 min after adding the sperm to the oocytes. In the ICSI group (n = 10 oocytes) the calcium oscillations started sooner, 27.1 ± 17.7 min after injection. The average peak amplitude and the mean interval between the calcium transients varied among individual oocytes, but no significant differences were found between the IVF and ICSI groups (which on average were fluorescence ratio of 2.6 ± 1.1 and 23.5 ± 11.4 min, respectively; P > 0.1). The oscillation patterns showed slight differences between individual oocytes in terms of spike frequency, which has been described before and may be due to variations in the amount of sperm-derived activating factor present in the ooplasm. Most importantly, in all oocytes measured, the initial calcium spike showed no differences when compared to subsequent calcium transients: its amplitude and duration was similar to the additional transients. This points at potential species-specific differences in the regulation of calcium signalling in oocytes and provides essential information for the better understanding of the fertilization process. This work was supported by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant 2011–67015–30006 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

In primary cultures of dog tracheal epithelium, isoproterenol produced a transient increase in short-circuit current (Isc) (duration 30 s; maximal increase, 32 +/- 5 microA/cm2). This was followed by a more slowly developing sustained increase (9 +/- 3 microA/cm2), which mimicked the response to N6, 2'-O-dibutyryladenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (DBcAMP). The transient and sustained responses had dissociation constants for isoproterenol of 2 x 10(-8) and 2 x 10(-9) M, respectively. Bradykinin (in the presence of indomethacin), substance P, histamine, and thrombin produced only transient increases in Isc. The time courses of these transients closely paralleled changes in concentration of intracellular Ca ([Ca2+]i) as measured with fura 2. For different mediators, there was a significant correlation between the maximal transient increase in Isc and the maximal increase in [Ca2+]i. The transients in Isc were not associated with elevation of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) and were unaffected by pretreatment with DBcAMP, which abolishes the steady-state increase in response to isoproterenol. Both the transient increases in Isc and [Ca2+]i were inhibited by pretreatment with the Ca chelator 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid. The phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate abolished the transient increases in [Ca2+]i and Isc in response to isoproterenol but not to bradykinin. These results provide evidence that 1) isoproterenol and bradykinin elevate [Ca2+]i by different mechanisms, and 2) Ca elevation is associated with a transient increase in Isc, whereas increased cAMP is associated with a smaller sustained increase.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) is expressed at the membrane of mouse ventricular myocytes and colocalizes with non-T-tubular L-type calcium channels. Deletion of trpv4 gene in mice results in shortened QT interval on electrocardiogram and reduced action potential duration of ventricular myocytes. Pharmacological activation of TRPV4 channel leads to increased action potential duration and increased calcium transient amplitude in trpv4−/− but not in trpv4−/− ventricular myocytes. To the contrary, TRPV4 channel pharmacological inhibition reduces action potential duration in trpv4+/+ but not in trpv4−/− myocytes. Integration of TRPV4 channel in a computational model of mouse action potential shows that the channel carries an inward current contributing to slowing down action potential repolarization and to increase calcium transient amplitude, similarly to what is observed experimentally. This study highlights for the first time the involvement of TRPV4 channel in ventricular electrical activity.

The deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) convey the final output of the cerebellum and are a major site of activity-dependent plasticity. Here, using patch-clamp recording and two-photon calcium imaging in rat brain slices, we demonstrate that DCN dendrites exhibit three hallmarks of active amplification of electrical signals. First, they produce calcium transients with rise times of tens of milliseconds, comparable in amplitude and duration to calcium spikes in other neurons. Second, calcium signal amplitudes are undiminished along the length of dendrites to the farthest distances from the soma. Third, they can generate calcium signals even in the presence of tetrodotoxin, a sodium channel blocker that abolishes somatic action potential initiation. DCN calcium transients do require the action of T-type calcium channels, a common voltage-gated conductance in excitable dendrites. Dendritic calcium influx was evoked by release from hyperpolarization, peaked within tens of milliseconds, and was observed in both transient- and weak-rebound-firing neurons. In a survey across the DCN, transient-burst rebound firing, which was accompanied by the most rapid calcium flux, was more common in lateral nucleus than in interpositus nucleus and was not seen in medial nucleus. Rebound firing and calcium transients were not present in animals shipped 1–3 days before recording, a condition associated with elevated maternal and pup corticosterone and reduced pup body weight. Rebounds could be restored by the protein kinase C activator phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate. Thus local calcium-based dendritic excitability supports a stage of presomatic amplification that is under regulation by stress and neuromodulatory influence.

The sodium/calcium exchanger (NCX) is a widespread transporter that exchanges sodium and calcium ions across excitable membranes. Normally, NCX mainly operates in its “forward” mode, harnessing the electrochemical gradient of sodium ions to expel calcium. During membrane depolarization or elevated internal sodium levels, NCX can instead switch the direction of net flux to expel sodium and allow calcium entry. Such “reverse”-mode NCX operation is frequently implicated during pathological or artificially extended periods of depolarization, not during normal activity. We have used fast calcium imaging, mathematical simulation, and whole cell electrophysiology to study the role of NCX at the parallel fiber-to-Purkinje neuron synapse in the mouse cerebellum. We show that nontraditional, reverse-mode NCX activity boosts the amplitude and duration of parallel fiber calcium transients during short bursts of high-frequency action potentials typical of their behavior in vivo. Simulations, supported by experimental manipulations, showed that accumulation of intracellular sodium drove NCX into reverse mode. This mechanism fueled additional calcium influx into the parallel fibers that promoted synaptic transmission to Purkinje neurons for up to 400 ms after the burst. Thus we provide the first functional demonstration of transient and fast NCX-mediated calcium entry at a major central synapse. This unexpected contribution from reverse-mode NCX appears critical for shaping presynaptic calcium dynamics and transiently boosting synaptic transmission, and is likely to optimize the accuracy of cerebellar information transfer.

Regional heterogeneities of ventricular repolarizing currents and their role in arrhythmogenesis have received much attention; however, relatively little is known regarding heterogeneities of intracellular calcium handling. Because repolarization properties and contractile function are heterogeneous from base to apex of the intact heart, we hypothesize that calcium handling is also heterogeneous from base to apex. To test this hypothesis, we developed a novel ratiometric optical mapping system capable of measuring calcium fluorescence of indo-1 at two separate wavelengths from 256 sites simultaneously. With the use of intact Langendorff-perfused guinea pig hearts, ratiometric calcium transients were recorded under normal conditions and during administration of known inotropic agents. Ratiometric calcium transients were insensitive to changes in excitation light intensity and fluorescence over time. Under control conditions, calcium transient amplitude near the apex was significantly larger (60%, P < 0.01) compared with the base. In contrast, calcium transient duration was significantly longer (7.5%, P < 0.03) near the base compared with the apex. During isoproterenol (0.05 μM) and verapamil (2.5 μM) administration, ratiometric calcium transients accurately reflected changes in contractile function, and, the direction of base-to-apex heterogeneities remained unchanged compared with control. Ratiometric optical mapping techniques can be used to accurately quantify heterogeneities of calcium handling in the intact heart. Significant heterogeneities of calcium release and sequestration exist from base to apex of the intact heart. These heterogeneities are consistent with base-to-apex heterogeneities of contraction observed in the intact heart and may play a role in arrhythmogenesis under abnormal conditions.