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Altered Ca fluxes and contractile state during pH changes in cultured heart cells

Journal Article · · Am. J. Physiol.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6244201

The authors studied mechanisms underlying changes in myocardial contractile state produced by intracellular (pH/sub i/) or extracellular (pH/sub 0/) changes in pH using cultured chick embryo ventricular cells. A change in pH/sub 0/ of HEPES-buffered medium from 7.4 to 6.0 or to 8.8 changed the amplitude of cell motion by -85 or +60%, and /sup 45/Ca uptake at 10 s by -29 or +22%, respectively. The pH/sub 0/ induced change in Ca uptake was not sensitive to nifedipine but was Na gradient dependent. Changes in pH/sub i/ produced by NH/sub 4/Cl or preincubation in media at pH values ranging from 6.0 to 8.8 failed to alter significantly /sup 45/Ca uptake or efflux. However, larger changes in pH/sub i/ were associated with altered Ca uptake. Changes in pH/sub 0/ from 7.5 to 6.0 or to 8.8 were associated with initial changes in /sup 45/Ca efflux by +17 or -18%, respectively, and these effects were not Na dependent. Exposure of cells to 20 mM NH/sub 4/Cl produced intracellular alkalinization and a positive inotropic effect, whereas subsequent removal of NH/sub 4/Cl caused intracellular acidification and a negative inotropic effect. There was, however, a lack of close temporal relationships between pH/sub i/ and contractile state. These results indicated that pH/sub 0/-induced changes in contractile state in cultured heart cells are closely correlated with altered transarcolemmal Ca movements and presumably are due to these Ca flux changes.

Research Organization:
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (USA)
OSTI ID:
6244201
Journal Information:
Am. J. Physiol.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Physiol.; (United States) Vol. 253:1; ISSN AJPHA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English