Combined cardiovascular effects of ovariectomy and high-intensity interval training in female spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Hypertensive postmenopausal women are more likely to develop adverse cardiac remodeling and respond less effectively to drug treatment than men. High-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) is a nonpharmacological strategy for the treatment of hypertension; however, the effectiveness in women remains uncertain. This study was designed to evaluate 1) the effects of HIIE training upon morphological and functional markers of cardiovascular health in female SHR and 2) to determine whether the hormonal shift induced by ovariectomy could influence cardiovascular responses to HIIE. Thirty-six SHR were randomly assigned to four groups: ovariectomized sedentary, ovariectomized trained, sham-operated sedentary, and sham-operated trained. The trained rats performed HIIE 5 days/wk for 8 wk. Blood pressure and echocardiographic measurements were performed before and after training in animals. Cardiac response to ß-adrenergic stimulation and the expression of calcium regulatory proteins and estrogen receptors in heart samples were assessed. Endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in response to acetylcholine was evaluated in aortic rings as well as the expression of nitric oxide synthase isoforms (eNOS and P-eNOS) by Western blotting. In both groups of trained SHR, HIIE induced eccentric cardiac remodeling with greater inotropic and chronotropic effects, as well as an increase in SERCA and ß1AR expression. However, although the trained rats showed improved endothelial function and expression of eNOS and P-eNOS in the aorta, there was no demonstrated effect on blood pressure. In addition, the responses to HIIE training were not affected by ovariectomy. This work highlights the importance of assessing the cardiovascular efficacy and safety of different exercise modalities in women.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study reports the effects of high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) training on cardiac and endothelial function in female hypertensive rats. Despite a lack of effect on blood pressure (BP), HIIE training induces eccentric cardiac remodeling with greater functionals effects. Furthermore, training has beneficial effects on endothelial function. However, ovarian hormones do not seem to modulate cardiac and aortic adaptations to this training modality. All this underlines the need to consider training modalities on the cardiovascular system in women.

Post-exercise hypotension in male spontaneously hypertensive rats: The issue of calculation method.

In spontaneously hypertensive rats, exercise can lead to a post-exercise decrease in blood pressure, named post-exercise hypotension (PEH). This can be following physical training but also after a single bout of mild to moderate exercise when measured with tail-cuff or externalized catheter methods. Our aim was to assess the PEH obtained with different calculation methods and to compare the magnitude of this effect induced by a moderate-intensity continuous exercise or a high-intensity intermittent exercise. Thirteen 16-week-old male spontaneously hypertensive rats performed two types of aerobic exercise (continuous or intermittent) on a treadmill. Arterial pressure was recorded by telemetry for 24 h which was started 3 h before physical exercise. Based on the literature, PEH was first evaluated with two different baseline values, and then with three different approaches. We observed that the identification of PEH depended on the method used to measure the rest value, and that its amplitude was also influenced by the calculation approach and the type of exercise performed. Hence, the calculation method and the amplitude of the detected PEH can significantly influence their physiological and pathophysiological inferences.

Handling a mature calcium signature through optogenetics improves the differentiation of primary murine myotubes.

Calcium takes part in numerous cellular processes such as proliferation, migration, differentiation, or cell death and plays a particular role in myogenesis of skeletal muscle. Indeed, intracellular calcium signaling participates, in a non-negligeable manner, to the "on" signal of muscle differentiation from undifferentiated cells to differentiated myotubes. Therefore, this differentiation can be modulated by controlling calcium activity with electrical or optogenetic stimulation approaches. In this study, we used the optogenetic tool channelrhodopsin 2 (ChR2) to control calcium activity and to modulate skeletal muscle differentiation. Using primary cultures of mouse myotubes, we showed that ChR2 stimulation was well-adapted to control intracellular calcium activity at the single cell or whole culture scale. To modulate the calcium-dependent myotube differentiation, we used an optical stimulation protocol based on GCAMP6s-decoded spontaneous calcium activity patterns of differentiated myotubes. The optical training of myotubes increased the fusion index and their contractile ability. This study demonstrates that handling a mature calcium signature with such optogenetic tool improves the differentiation of primary murine myotubes.

A comprehensive study of phospholipid fatty acid rearrangements in metabolic syndrome: correlations with organ dysfunction.

The balance within phospholipids (PLs) between saturated fatty acids and monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids is known to regulate the biophysical properties of cellular membranes. As a consequence, in many cell types, perturbing this balance alters crucial cellular processes, such as vesicular budding and the trafficking/function of membrane-anchored proteins. The worldwide spread of the Western diet, which is highly enriched in saturated fats, has been clearly correlated with the emergence of a complex syndrome known as metabolic syndrome (MetS). MetS is defined as a cluster of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and hepatic steatosis; however, no clear correlations have been established between diet-induced fatty acid redistribution within cellular PLs and the severity/chronology of the symptoms associated with MetS or the function of the targeted organs. To address this issue, in this study we analyzed PL remodeling in rats exposed to a high-fat/high-fructose diet (HFHF) over a 15-week period. PL remodeling was analyzed in several organs, including known MetS targets. We show that fatty acids from the diet can redistribute within PLs in a very selective manner, with phosphatidylcholine being the preferred sink for this redistribution. Moreover, in the HFHF rat model, most organs are protected from this redistribution, at least during the early onset of MetS, at the expense of the liver and skeletal muscles. Interestingly, such a redistribution correlates with clear-cut alterations in the function of these organs.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.

Functional BKCa channel in human resident cardiac stem cells expressing W8B2.

Recently, a new population of resident cardiac stem cells (CSCs) positive for the W8B2 marker has been identified. These CSCs are considered to be an ideal cellular source to repair myocardial damage after infarction. However, the electrophysiological profile of these cells has not been characterized yet. We first establish the conditions of isolation and expansion of W8B2+ CSCs from human heart biopsies using a magnetic sorting system followed by flow cytometry cell sorting. These cells display a spindle-shaped morphology, are highly proliferative, and possess self-renewal capacity demonstrated by their ability to form colonies. Besides, W8B2+ CSCs are positive for mesenchymal markers but negative for hematopoietic and endothelial ones. RT-qPCR and immunostaining experiments show that W8B2+ CSCs express some early cardiac-specific transcription factors but lack the expression of cardiac-specific structural genes. Using patch clamp in the whole-cell configuration, we show for the first time the electrophysiological signature of BKCa current in these cells. Accordingly, RT-PCR and western blotting analysis confirmed the presence of BKCa at both mRNA and protein levels in W8B2+ CSCs. Interestingly, BKCa channel inhibition by paxilline decreased cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner and halted cell cycle progression at the G0/G1 phase. The inhibition of BKCa also decreased the self-renewal capacity but did not affect migration of W8B2+ CSCs. Taken together, our results are consistent with an important role of BKCa channels in cell cycle progression and self-renewal in human cardiac stem cells.

Optogenetic approach for targeted activation of global calcium transients in differentiated C2C12 myotubes.

Excitation-contraction coupling in muscle cells is initiated by a restricted membrane depolarization delimited within the neuromuscular junction. This targeted depolarization triggers an action potential that propagates and induces a global cellular calcium response and a consequent contraction. To date, numerous studies have investigated this excitation-calcium response coupling by using different techniques to depolarize muscle cells. However, none of these techniques mimic the temporal and spatial resolution of membrane depolarization observed in the neuromuscular junction. By using optogenetics in C2C12 muscle cells, we developed a technique to study the calcium response following membrane depolarization induced by photostimulations of membrane surface similar or narrower than the neuromuscular junction area. These stimulations coupled to confocal calcium imaging generate a global cellular calcium response that is the consequence of a membrane depolarization propagation. In this context, this technique provides an interesting, contactless and relatively easy way of investigation of calcium increase/release as well as calcium decrease/re-uptake triggered by a propagated membrane depolarization.

Stretch-activated TRPV2 channels: Role in mediating cardiopathies.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid type 2, TRPV2, is a calcium-permeable cation channel belonging to the TRPV channel family. Although this channel has been first characterized as a noxious heat sensor, its mechanosensor property recently gained importance in various physiological functions. TRPV2 has been described as a stretch-mediated channel and a regulator of calcium homeostasis in several cell types and has been shown to be involved in the stretch-dependent responses in cardiomyocytes. Hence, several studies in the last years support the idea that TRPV2 play a key role in the function and structure of the heart, being involved in the cardiac compensatory mechanisms in response to pathologic or exercise-induced stress. We present here an overview of the current literature and concepts of TRPV2 channels involvement (i) in the mechanical coupling mechanisms in heart and (ii) in the mechanisms that lead to cardiomyopathies. All these studies lead us to think that TRPV2 may also be an important cardiac drug target based on its major physiological roles in heart.

Non-acidic activation of pain-related Acid-Sensing Ion Channel 3 by lipids.

Extracellular pH variations are seen as the principal endogenous signal that triggers activation of Acid-Sensing Ion Channels (ASICs), which are basically considered as proton sensors, and are involved in various processes associated with tissue acidification. Here, we show that human painful inflammatory exudates, displaying non-acidic pH, induce a slow constitutive activation of human ASIC3 channels. This effect is largely driven by lipids, and we identify lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and arachidonic acid (AA) as endogenous activators of ASIC3 in the absence of any extracellular acidification. The combination of LPC and AA evokes robust depolarizing current in DRG neurons at physiological pH 7.4, increases nociceptive C-fiber firing, and induces pain behavior in rats, effects that are all prevented by ASIC3 blockers. Lipid-induced pain is also significantly reduced in ASIC3 knockout mice. These findings open new perspectives on the roles of ASIC3 in the absence of tissue pH variation, as well as on the contribution of those channels to lipid-mediated signaling.

Ultrastructural and functional alterations of EC coupling elements in mdx cardiomyocytes: an analysis from membrane surface to depth.

A dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is associated with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The loss of dystrophin leads to membrane instability and calcium dysregulation in skeletal muscle but effects of such a loss are not elucidated at cardiomyocytes level. We sought to examine whether membrane and transverse tubules damages occur in ventricular myocytes from mdx mouse model of DMD and how they impact the function of single excitation-contraction coupling elements. Scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) was used to characterize the integrity loss of living mdx cardiomyocytes surface. 2D Fourier transform analysis of labeled internal networks (transverse tubules, alpha-actinin, dihydropyridine receptors, ryanodine receptors) was performed to evaluate internal alterations. During calcium measurements, "smart microperfusions" of depolarizing solutions were applied through SICM nanopipette, stimulating single tubules elements. These approaches revealed structural membrane surface (39% decrease for Z-groove ratio) and transverse tubules disorganization (21% transverse tubules ratio decrease) in mdx as compared to control. These disruptions were associated with functional alterations (sixfold increase of calcium signal duration and twofold increase of sparks frequency). In DCM associated with DMD, myocytes display evident membrane alterations at the surface level but also in the cell depth with a disruption of transverse tubules network as observed in other cases of heart failure. These ultrastructural changes are associated with changes in the function of some coupling elements. Thus, these profound disruptions may play a role in calcium dysregulation through excitation-contraction coupling elements perturbation and suggest a transverse tubules stabilizing role for dystrophin.

Glycosaminoglycan mimetics trigger IP3-dependent intracellular calcium release in myoblasts.

Glycosaminoglycans (GAG) are sulfated polysaccharides that play an important role in regulating cell functions. GAG mimetics called RGTAs (for ReGeneraTing Agents) have been shown to stimulate tissue repair. In particular they accelerate myogenesis, in part via their heparin-mimetic property towards growth factors. RGTAs also increase activity of calcium-dependent intracellular protease suggesting an effect on calcium cellular homeostasis. This effect was presently investigated on myoblasts in vitro using one member of the RGTA family molecule named OTR4120. We have shown that OTR4120 or heparin induced transient increases of intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)]i) in pre-fusing myoblasts from both mouse SolD7 cell line and rat skeletal muscle satellite cells grown in primary culture by mobilising sarcoplasmic reticulum store. This [Ca(2+)]i was not mediated by ryanodine receptors but instead resulted from stimulation of the Inositol-3 phosphate-phospholipase C activation pathway. OTR4120-induced calcium transient was not mediated through an ATP, nor a tyrosine kinase, nor an acetylcholine receptor but principally through serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. This original finding shows that the GAG mimetic can induce calcium signal through serotonin receptors and the IP3 pathway may be relevant to its ability to favour myoblast differentiation. It supports a novel and unexpected function of GAGs in the regulation of calcium homeostasis.

Regulation of TRPC1 and TRPC4 cation channels requires an alpha1-syntrophin-dependent complex in skeletal mouse myotubes.

The dystrophin-associated protein complex (DAPC) is essential for skeletal muscle, and the lack of dystrophin in Duchenne muscular dystrophy results in a reduction of DAPC components such as syntrophins and in fiber necrosis. By anchoring various molecules, the syntrophins may confer a role in cell signaling to the DAPC. Calcium disorders and abnormally elevated cation influx in dystrophic muscle cells have suggested that the DAPC regulates some sarcolemmal cationic channels. We demonstrated previously that mini-dystrophin and alpha1-syntrophin restore normal cation entry in dystrophin-deficient myotubes and that sarcolemmal TRPC1 channels associate with dystrophin and the bound PDZ domain of alpha1-syntrophin. This study shows that small interfering RNA (siRNA) silencing of alpha1-syntrophin dysregulated cation influx in myotubes. Moreover, deletion of the PDZ-containing domain prevented restoration of normal cation entry by alpha1-syntrophin transfection in dystrophin-deficient myotubes. TRPC1 and TRPC4 channels are expressed at the sarcolemma of muscle cells; forced expression or siRNA silencing showed that cation influx regulated by alpha1-syntrophin is supported by TRPC1 and TRPC4. A molecular association was found between TRPC1 and TRPC4 channels and the alpha1-syntrophin-dystrophin complex. TRPC1 and TRPC4 channels may form sarcolemmal channels anchored to the DAPC, and alpha1-syntrophin is necessary to maintain the normal regulation of TRPC-supported cation entry in skeletal muscle. Cation channels with DAPC form a signaling complex that modulates cation entry and may be crucial for normal calcium homeostasis in skeletal muscles.

Negative modulation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate type 1 receptor expression prevents dystrophin-deficient muscle cells death.

Evidence for a modulatory effect of cyclosporin A (CsA) on calcium signaling and cell survival in dystrophin-deficient cells is presented. Our previous works strongly supported the hypothesis of an overactivation of Ca(2+) release via inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptors (IP3R) in dystrophin-deficient cells, both during membrane depolarization and at rest, through spontaneous Ca(2+) release events. Forced expression of mini-dystrophin in these cells contributed, during stimulation and in resting condition, to the recovery of a controlled calcium homeostasis. In the present work, we demonstrate that CsA exposure displayed a dual-modulator effect on calcium signaling in dystrophin-deficient cells. Short-time incubation induced a decrease of IP3-dependent calcium release, leading to patterns of release similar to those observed in myotubes expressing mini-dystrophin, whereas long-time incubation reduced the expression of the type I of IP3 receptors (IP3R-1) RNA levels. Moreover, both IP3R-1 knockdown and blockade through 2-aminoethoxydiphenyle borate or CsA induced improved survival of dystrophin-deficient myotubes, demonstrating the cell death dependence on the IP3-dependent calcium signaling as well as the protective effect of CsA. Inhibition of the IP3 pathway could be a very interesting approach for reducing the natural cell death of dystrophin-deficient cells in development.

alpha-Skeletal muscle actin nemaline myopathy mutants cause cell death in cultured muscle cells.

Nemaline myopathy is a neuromuscular disorder, characterized by muscle weakness and hypotonia and is, in 20% of the cases, caused by mutations in the gene encoding alpha-skeletal muscle actin, ACTA1. It is a heterogeneous disease with various clinical phenotypes and severities. In patients the ultrastructure of muscle cells is often disturbed by nemaline rods and it is thought this is the cause for muscle weakness. To search for possible defects during muscle cell differentiation we expressed alpha-actin mutants in myoblasts and allowed these cells to differentiate into myotubes. Surprisingly, we observed two striking new phenotypes in differentiating myoblasts: rounding up of cells and bleb formation, two features reminiscent of apoptosis. Indeed expression of these mutants induced cell death with apoptotic features in muscle cell culture, using AIF and endonuclease G, in a caspase-independent but calpain-dependent pathway. This is the first report on a common cellular defect induced by NM causing actin mutants, independent of their biochemical phenotypes or rod and aggregate formation capacity. These data suggest that lack of type II fibers or atrophy observed in nemaline myopathy patients may be also due to an increased number of dying muscle cells.

Structure elucidation of a dihydropyranone from Tapinanthus dodoneifolius.

A new dihydropyranone, ( R)-6-[( S)-2-hydroxy-4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)butyl]-5,6-dihydropyran-2-one ( 1), was isolated from Tapinanthus dodoneifolius. The structure was determined from spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic analysis. Compound 1 (named dodoneine) showed a relaxing effect on preconstricted rat aortic rings (IC 50 of 81.4 +/- 0.9 microM).

Regulation of capacitative calcium entries by alpha1-syntrophin: association of TRPC1 with dystrophin complex and the PDZ domain of alpha1-syntrophin.

Calcium mishandling in Duchenne dystrophic muscle suggested that dystrophin, a membrane-associated cytoskeleton protein, might regulate calcium signaling cascade such as calcium influx pathway. It was previously shown that abnormal calcium entries involve uncontrolled stretch-activated currents and store-operated Ca2+ currents supported by TRPC1 channels. Moreover, our recent work demonstrated that reintroduction of minidystrophin in dystrophic myotubes restores normal capacitative calcium entries (CCEs). However, until now, no molecular link between the dystrophin complex and calcium entry channels has been described. This study is the first to show by coimmunoprecipitation assays the molecular association of TRPC1 with dystrophin and alpha1-syntrophin in muscle cells. TRPC1 was also associated with alpha1-syntrophin in dystrophic muscle cells independently of dystrophin. Furthermore, glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down assays showed that TRPC1 binds to the alpha1-syntrophin PDZ domain. Transfected recombinant alpha1-syntrophin formed a complex with TRPC1 channels and restored normal CCEs in dystrophic muscle cells. We suggest that normal regulation of CCEs in skeletal muscle depends on the association between TRPC1 channels and alpha1-syntrophin that may anchor the store-operated channels to the dystrophin-associated protein complex (DAPC). The loss of this molecular association could participate in the calcium alterations observed in dystrophic muscle cells. This study provides a new model for the regulation of calcium influx by interaction with the scaffold of the DAPC in muscle cells.

A novel depolarizing activity of scorpion venom fraction M1 due to activation of skeletal muscle nicotinic receptors.

A depolarizing activity following interaction with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAchRs) in skeletal muscle cells, was observed for the first time in the non-toxic venom fraction (M1) of the yellow scorpion Buthus occitanus tunetanus (Bot). The effects of M1 fraction were tested on cultured rat myotubes by recording changes in [Ca2+]i. When applied, M1 (10 microg/mL) induced a transient increase of [Ca2+]i which could be blocked by a prior application of alpha-Bungarotoxin (alpha-Bg-Tx).

New insights in the regulation of calcium transfers by muscle dystrophin-based cytoskeleton: implications in DMD.

Calcium mishandling in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) suggested that dystrophin, a membrane-associated cytoskeleton protein, may regulate calcium-signalling cascades such as calcium entries. Calcium overload in human DMD myotubes is dependent on their contractile activity suggesting the involvement of channels being activated during contraction and/or calcium release. Forced expression of mini-dystrophin in dystrophin-deficient myotubes, reactivates appropriate sarcolemmal expression of dystrophin-associated proteins and restores normal calcium handling in the cytosol. Furthermore, the recombinant mini-dystrophin reduced the store-operated calcium influx across the sarcolemma, and the mitochondrial calcium uptake during this influx. A slow component of calcium release dependent on IP3R, as well as the production of IP3, were also reduced to normal levels by expression of mini-dystrophin. Our studies provide a new model for the convergent regulation of transmembrane calcium influx and IP3-dependent calcium release by the dystrophin-based cytoskeleton (DBC). We also suggest molecular association of such channels with DBC which may provide the scaffold for assembling a multiprotein-signalling complex that modulates the channel activity. This suggests that the loss of this molecular association could participate in the alteration of calcium homeostasis observed in DMD muscle cells.

Depression of cardiac L-type calcium current by a scorpion venom fraction M1 following muscarinic receptors interaction involving adenylate cyclase pathway.

The effects of a non-toxic fraction, called M1, from Buthus occitanus tunetanus (Bot) scorpion were studied on rat cardiac contraction and calcium transient and current. A decrease in both rate and tension on isolated intact hearts as well as in calcium transient induced by depolarizing 100 K(+) solution on isolated ventricular cardiomyocytes was firstly observed. Studies with the whole cell patch clamp method showed that M1 decreased the L-type calcium current (ICa(L)) in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 of 0.36 microg/mL and a Hill coefficient of 0.95. This effect was blocked and reversed by the specific muscarinic receptors antagonist atropine, 1 microM, and was completely prevented when cardiomyocytes were pretreated with Pertussis toxin, 1 microg/mL, to block the alpha subunit of the PTX-sensitive G proteins. These results show that M1 fraction of Bot inhibits basal calcium current by interacting with muscarinic receptors and suggest that this inhibition could be attributed to inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity by a mechanism involving PTX-sensitive G proteins.

Mini-dystrophin expression down-regulates IP3-mediated calcium release events in resting dystrophin-deficient muscle cells.

We present here evidence for the enhancement, at rest, of an inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-mediated calcium signaling pathway in myotubes from dystrophin-deficient cell lines (SolC1(-)) as compared to a cell line from the same origin but transfected with mini-dystrophin (SolD(+)). With confocal microscopy, the number of sites discharging calcium (release site density [RSD]) was quantified and found more elevated in SolC1(-) than in SolD(+) myotubes. Variations of membrane potential had no significant effect on this difference, and higher resting [Ca2+]i in SolC1(-) (Marchand, E., B. Constantin, H. Balghi, M.C. Claudepierre, A. Cantereau, C. Magaud, A. Mouzou, G. Raymond, S. Braun, and C. Cognard. 2004. Exp. Cell Res. 297:363-379) cannot explain alone higher RSD. The exposure with SR Ca(2+) channel inhibitors (ryanodine and 2-APB) and phospholipase C inhibitor (U73122) significantly reduced RSD in both cell types but with a stronger effect in dystrophin-deficient SolC1(-) myotubes. Immunocytochemistry allowed us to localize ryanodine receptors (RyRs) as well as IP3 receptors (IP3Rs), IP3R-1 and IP3R-2 isoforms, indicating the presence of both RyRs-dependent and IP3-dependent release systems in both cells. We previously reported evidence for the enhancement, through a Gi protein, of the IP3-mediated calcium signaling pathway in SolC1(-) as compared to SolD(+) myotubes during a high K(+) stimulation (Balghi, H., S. Sebille, B. Constantin, S. Patri, V. Thoreau, L. Mondin, E. Mok, A. Kitzis, G. Raymond, and C. Cognard. 2006. J. Gen. Physiol. 127:171-182). Here we show that, at rest, these regulation mechanisms are also involved in the modulation of calcium release activities. The enhancement of resting release activity may participate in the calcium overload observed in dystrophin-deficient myotubes, and our findings support the hypothesis of the regulatory role of mini-dystrophin on intracellular signaling.

Mini-dystrophin expression down-regulates overactivation of G protein-mediated IP3 signaling pathway in dystrophin-deficient muscle cells.

We present here evidence for the enhancement of an inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) mediated calcium signaling pathway in myotubes from dystrophin-deficient cell lines (SolC1(-)) as compared to a cell line from the same origin but transfected with mini-dystrophin (SolD(+)). With confocal microscopy, we demonstrated that calcium rise, induced by the perifusion of a solution containing a high potassium concentration, was higher in SolC1(-) than in SolD(+) myotubes. The analysis of amplitude and kinetics of the calcium increase in SolC1(-) and in SolD(+) myotubes during the exposure with SR Ca2+ channel inhibitors (ryanodine and 2-APB) suggested the presence of two mechanisms of SR calcium release: (1) a fast SR calcium release that depended on ryanodine receptors and (2) a slow SR calcium release mediated by IP3 receptors. Detection analyses of mRNAs (reverse transcriptase [RT]-PCR) and proteins (Western blot and immunolocalization) demonstrated the presence of the three known isoforms of IP3 receptors in both SolC1(-) and SolD(+) myotubes. Furthermore, analysis of the kinetics of the rise in calcium revealed that the slow IP3-dependent release may be increased in the SolC1(-) as compared to the SolD(+), suggesting an inhibitory effect of mini-dystrophin in this signaling pathway. Upon incubation with pertussis toxin (PTX), an inhibitory effect similar to that of the IP3R inhibitor (2-APB) was observed on K+-evoked calcium release. This result suggests the involvement of a Gi protein upstream of the IP3 pathway in these stimulation conditions. A hypothetical model is depicted in which both Gi protein and IP3 production could be involved in K+-evoked calcium release as well as a possible interaction with mini-dystrophin. Our findings demonstrate the existence of a potential relationship between mini-dystrophin and SR calcium release as well as a regulatory role of mini-dystrophin on intracellular signaling.