Metabolic inhibition activates a non-selective current through connexin hemichannels in isolated ventricular myocytes.

Intracellular Na(+)accumulation and K(+)loss play important roles in the pathogenesis of arrhythmias and injury in the ischemic heart. We investigated the role of metabolically sensitive connexin hemichannels as a potential route for Na(+)influx and K(+)efflux during ischemia, using dye uptake and electrophysiological measurements to assay hemichannel activity in isolated rabbit ventricular myocytes. Consistent with the known size selectivity of connexin hemichannels,;50% of myocytes exposed to either low extracellular Ca(2+)(an established method for opening connexin hemichannels) or to metabolic inhibitors (a recently described method for opening hemichannels) accumulated fluorescent dyes with <1000 MW (propidium iodide and calcein), but excluded a larger dye with 1500-3000 MW (dextran-rhodamine). Using the whole cell patch clamp technique, we found that metabolic inhibitors activated a non-selective current permeant to both small and large cations, and blocked by La(3+), similar to the properties of connexin 43 when overexpressed in human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells. These findings indicate that isolated cardiac myocytes endogenously express metabolically-sensitive connexin hemichannels. If activated during ischemia, these hemichannels could contribute significantly to altered ionic fluxes promoting arrhythmias and myocardial injury.

Putative ryanodine receptors in the sarcolemma of ventricular myocytes.

The activity of caffeine-activated large conductance channels was recorded in whole-cell, patch-clamped, isolated ventricular myocytes from rabbit heart. The channels were permeable to monovalent and divalent cations and had a unitary monovalent cation conductance of 300-400 pS. Extracellular ruthenium red reduced the unitary conductance of the caffeine-activated channel in a concentration- and voltage-dependent manner. Ryanodine locked the caffeine-activated channels into a subconductance state. Elevating intracellular Ca2+ by photolysis of "caged calcium" increased the number of channel openings. The properties of this caffeine-activated channel were remarkably similar to those of cardiac ryanodine receptors (RyR) and support the novel finding that these channels may also be found on the sarcolemmal membrane.

Increased calcium loading and inotropy without greater cell death in hypoxic rat cardiomyocytes.

To test whether contractile function in "hypoxic" myocytes treated with high glucose (19.5 mM) can be improved by increasing intracellular Ca2+ without accelerating cell contracture or death, we challenged metabolically inhibited, paced myocytes with high extracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]o) and measured simultaneously cell shortening and intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). NaCN exposure at a physiological [Ca2+]o level (1.2 mM) caused a decline of contractile function to 58 +/- 8% of the pre-NaCN value (P < 0.001) but increased systolic and diastolic [Ca2+]i by 104 +/- 17 and 37 +/- 9% above baseline (P < 0.01), respectively. Consequent doubling of [Ca2+]o to 2.4 mM, in the presence of NaCN, immediately restored contractile function, and twitch amplitude after 18 min was 123 +/- 14% (P < 0.001) of baseline pre-NaCN values, whereas systolic [Ca2+]i increased further to 225 +/- 63% (P < 0.05) and diastolic [Ca2+]i to 73 +/- 16% above baseline (P < 0.01). This marked increase in [Ca2+]i had no deleterious effect on myocyte diastolic function or survival. These results suggest that if adequate metabolic substrate is provided, contractile function in metabolically inhibited, hypoxic myocytes can be restored by increasing [Ca2+]i without causing short-term cell injury.