Palmitate uptake in calcium tolerant, adult rat myocardial single cells--evidence for an albumin mediated transport across sarcolemma.

The dependence of (1-14C)-palmitate uptake in adult rat heart single cells on albumin was investigated. The apparent initial rate of palmitate uptake vs total palmitate concentration exhibited saturation kinetics, provided the concentration ratio of palmitate vs albumin was kept constant. However, if total palmitate was increased at constant albumin concentrations, the dependence of the initial rate on palmitate concentration was linear. Within the concentration range of total palmitate investigated in this study, the concentration of free palmitate remained almost constant. These results favour the hypothesis, that palmitate uptake in rat myocardium may be mediated by an albumin dependent sarcolemmal transport system.

Kinetics of 13N-ammonia uptake in myocardial single cells indicating potential limitations in its applicability as a marker of myocardial blood flow.

To study kinetics and principles of cellular uptake of 13N-ammonia, a marker of coronary perfusion in myocardial scintigraphy, heart muscle cells of adult rats were isolated by perfusion with collagenase and hyaluronidase. Net uptake of 13N, measured by flow dialysis, reached equilibrium within 20 sec in the presence of sodium bicarbonate and carbon dioxide (pH 7.4, 37 degrees C). Total extraction, 80 sec after the reaction start, was 786 +/- 159 mumol/ml cell volume. Cells destroyed by calcium overload were unable to extract 13N-ammonia. Omission of bicarbonate and carbon dioxide reduced total extraction to 36% of control. 13N-Ammonia uptake could also be reduced by 50 muM 4,4' diisothiocyanostilbene 2,2' disulfonic acid, by 100 micrograms/ml 1-methionine sulfoximine, and by preincubation with 5 muM free oleic acid. These results indicate that in addition to metabolic trapping by glutamine synthetase, the extraction of 13N-ammonia by myocardial cells is influenced by cell membrane integrity, intracellular-extracellular pH gradient, and possibly an anion exchange system for bicarbonate. For this reason, the uptake of 13N-ammonia may not always provide a valid measurement of myocardial perfusion.