Ca2+ Changes (ca2+ + change)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Prolactin secretion and intracellular Ca2+ change in rat lactotroph subpopulations stimulated by thyrotropin-releasing hormone,

JOURNAL OF CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2002
Chih-Yang Huang
Abstract Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) may stimulate lactotrophs to increase intracellular Ca2+ and to secrete prolactin (PRL). In this study, PRL contents in lactotrophs were determined by the sequential cell immunoblot assay (SCIBA) and their changes in intracellular Ca2+ was analyzed by confocal microscopy. Significant correlations were found in the corresponding parameters between TRH treatments with a recovery interval of 2 h. Measuring the PRL contents after the first TRH treatment and then determining the intracellular Ca2+ changes after the second TRH treatment revealed four lactotroph subpopulations. Type I cells (51%) showed significant responses of both PRL secretion and intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Type II cells (22%) increased in PRL secretion, but without changes in intracellular Ca2+. Type III cells (17%) have increased in intracellular Ca2+, but without changes in PRL secretion. Type IV cells (10%) did not show changes in PRL secretion and intracellular Ca2+. J. Cell. Biochem. 87: 126,132, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Visualization of local Ca2+ dynamics with genetically encoded bioluminescent reporters

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 3 2005
Kelly L. Rogers
Abstract Measurements of local Ca2+ signalling at different developmental stages and/or in specific cell types is important for understanding aspects of brain functioning. The use of light excitation in fluorescence imaging can cause phototoxicity, photobleaching and auto-fluorescence. In contrast, bioluminescence does not require the input of radiative energy and can therefore be measured over long periods, with very high temporal resolution. Aequorin is a genetically encoded Ca2+ -sensitive bioluminescent protein, however, its low quantum yield prevents dynamic measurements of Ca2+ responses in single cells. To overcome this limitation, we recently reported the bi-functional Ca2+ reporter gene, GFP-aequorin (GA), which was developed specifically to improve the light output and stability of aequorin chimeras [V. Baubet, et al., (2000) PNAS, 97, 7260,7265]. In the current study, we have genetically targeted GA to different microdomains important in synaptic transmission, including to the mitochondrial matrix, endoplasmic reticulum, synaptic vesicles and to the postsynaptic density. We demonstrate that these reporters enable ,real-time' measurements of subcellular Ca2+ changes in single mammalian neurons using bioluminescence. The high signal-to-noise ratio of these reporters is also important in that it affords the visualization of Ca2+ dynamics in cell,cell communication in neuronal cultures and tissue slices. Further, we demonstrate the utility of this approach in ex-vivo preparations of mammalian retina, a paradigm in which external light input should be controlled. This represents a novel molecular imaging approach for non-invasive monitoring of local Ca2+ dynamics and cellular communication in tissue or whole animal studies. [source]


The role of calcium in apoptosis induced by 7,-hydroxycholesterol and cholesterol-5,,6,-epoxide

JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR TOXICOLOGY, Issue 5 2009
Sinéad Lordan
Abstract Oxysterols, such as 7,-hydroxy-cholesterol (7,-OH) and cholesterol-5,,6,-epoxide (,-epoxide), may have a central role in promoting atherogenesis. This is thought to be predominantly due to their ability to induce apoptosis in cells of the vascular wall and in monocytes/macrophages. Although there has been extensive research regarding the mechanisms through which oxysterols induce apoptosis, much remains to be clarified. Given that experimental evidence has long associated alterations of calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis to apoptotic cell death, the aim of the present study was to determine the influence of intracellular Ca2+ changes on apoptosis induced by 7,-OH and ,-epoxide. Ca2+ responses in differentiated U937 cells were assessed by epifluorescence video microscopy, using the ratiometric dye fura-2. Over 15-min exposure of differentiated U937 cells to 30 ,M of 7,-OH induced a slow but significant rise in fura-2 ratio. The Ca2+ channel blocker nifedipine and the chelating agent EGTA blocked the increase in cytoplasmic Ca2+. Moreover, dihydropyridine (DHP) binding sites identified with BODIPY-FLX-DHP were blocked following pretreatment with nifedipine, indicating that the influx of Ca2+ occurred through L-type channels. However, following long-term incubation with 7,-OH, elevated levels of cytoplasmic Ca2+ were not maintained and nifedipine did not provide protection against apoptotic cell death. Our results indicate that the increase in Ca2+ may be an initial trigger of 7,-OH,induced apoptosis, but following chronic exposure to the oxysterol, the influence of Ca2+ on apoptotic cell death appears to be less significant. In contrast, Ca2+ did not appear to be involved in ,-epoxide,induced apoptosis. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 23:324,332, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20295 [source]


Prolactin secretion and intracellular Ca2+ change in rat lactotroph subpopulations stimulated by thyrotropin-releasing hormone,

JOURNAL OF CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2002
Chih-Yang Huang
Abstract Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) may stimulate lactotrophs to increase intracellular Ca2+ and to secrete prolactin (PRL). In this study, PRL contents in lactotrophs were determined by the sequential cell immunoblot assay (SCIBA) and their changes in intracellular Ca2+ was analyzed by confocal microscopy. Significant correlations were found in the corresponding parameters between TRH treatments with a recovery interval of 2 h. Measuring the PRL contents after the first TRH treatment and then determining the intracellular Ca2+ changes after the second TRH treatment revealed four lactotroph subpopulations. Type I cells (51%) showed significant responses of both PRL secretion and intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Type II cells (22%) increased in PRL secretion, but without changes in intracellular Ca2+. Type III cells (17%) have increased in intracellular Ca2+, but without changes in PRL secretion. Type IV cells (10%) did not show changes in PRL secretion and intracellular Ca2+. J. Cell. Biochem. 87: 126,132, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Dynamics of ionic activities in the apoplast of the sub-stomatal cavity of intact Vicia faba leaves during stomatal closure evoked by ABA and darkness

THE PLANT JOURNAL, Issue 3 2000
Hubert H. Felle
Summary Stomatal movement is accomplished by changes in the ionic content within guard cells as well as in the cell wall of the surrounding stomatal pore. In this study, the sub-stomatal apoplastic activities of K+, Cl,, Ca2+ and H+ were continuously monitored by inserting ion-selective micro-electrodes through the open stomata of intact Vicia faba leaves. In light-adapted leaves, the mean activities were 2.59 mm (K+), 1.26 mm (Cl,), 64 µm (Ca2+) and 89 µm (H+). Stomatal closure was investigated through exposure to abscisic acid (ABA), sudden darkness or both. Feeding the leaves with ABA through the cut petiole initially resulted in peaks after 9,10 min, in which Ca2+ and H+ activities transiently decreased, and Cl, and K+ activities transiently increased. Thereafter, Ca2+, H+ and Cl, activities completely recovered, while K+ activity approached an elevated level of around 10 mm within 20 min. Similar responses were observed following sudden darkness, with the difference that Cl, and Ca2+ activities recovered more slowly. Addition of ABA to dark-adapted leaves evoked responses of Cl, and Ca2+ similar to those observed in the light. K+ activity, starting from its elevated level, responded to ABA with a transient increase peaking around 16 mm, but then returned to its dark level. During stomatal closure, membrane potential changes in mesophyll cells showed no correlation with the K+ kinetics in the sub-stomatal cavity. We thus conclude that the increase in K+ activity mainly resulted from K+ release by the guard cells, indicating apoplastic compartmentation. Based on the close correlation between Cl, and Ca2+ changes, we suggest that anion channels are activated by a rise in cytosolic free Ca2+, a process which activates depolarization-activated K+ release channels. [source]