Inhibition of the histamine-induced Ca2+ influx in primary human endothelial cells (HUVEC) by volatile anaesthetics.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Vasoactive substances such as histamine, acetylcholine or ATP increase the [Ca2+]i of endothelial cells, which leads to the activation of nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). The NO produced by this enzyme relaxes the underlying smooth muscle. Evidence suggests that eNOS activation is dependent on agonist-induced Ca2+ entry. Recently we have shown that in human endothelial cells (HUVEC), this Ca2+ entry is sensitive to isoflurane. The objective here was to study the mechanism by which volatile anaesthetics can depress the histamine-induced Ca2+ entry into HUVEC cells. METHODS: HUVECs on coverslips were loaded with the Ca2+ indicator Fluo-3 and inserted in a gastight, temperature-controlled perfusion chamber. Excitation was at 488 nm and fluorescence signals were monitored with a confocal laser scanning microscope (MRC1024, Biorad). Direct measurement of the Ca2+ influx was with Mn2+ as surrogate for calcium at 360 nm in cells loaded with Fura-2. RESULTS: Addition of histamine induces a biphasic [Ca2+]i increase consisting of Ca2+ release from internal stores and a Ca2+ influx from the external medium (plateau phase). The plateau phase was dose-dependently inhibited by enflurane and sevoflurane (13.7 resp. 21.9% inhibition by 1 MAC anaesthetic). Direct measurement of the Ca2+ influx using the Mn2+ quench of the Fura-2 fluorescence gave similar results. The inhibition of the anaesthetics was not reduced by inhibition of the cGMP pathway, inactivation of protein kinase C, depolarization of the cells or the presence of specific Ca2+-dependent K+ channel inhibitors. Interestingly, unsaturated fatty acids inhibit the histamine-induced Ca2+ influx in a similar way as the volatile anaesthetics. CONCLUSIONS: Volatile anaesthetics dose-dependently inhibit the histamine-induced Ca2+ influx in HUVECs by a mechanism that may involve unspecific perturbation of the lipid bilayer.

Indirect activation of adenosine A1 receptors in cultured rat hippocampal neurons by volatile anaesthetics.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Volatile anaesthetics depress excitatory signal transmission by potentiating the inhibitory action of GABAA receptors and there is strong evidence that this is related with anaesthesia. Using primary hippocampal cultures we analyzed the possibility that the volatile anaesthetics enflurane and sevoflurane depress excitatory signal transmission by activation of adenosine A1 receptors. METHODS: Primary rat hippocampal cultures on 4 cm poly-L-lysine coated glass coverslips were loaded with the Ca2+-indicator fluo-3 and incorporated in a gastight, temperature-controlled perfusion chamber. The intracellular Ca2+-concentration was monitored with a confocal laser-scanning microscope (BioRad) using the 488 nm laser line of a krypton-argon laser for excitation and the Lasersharp Acquisition software for analysis. RESULTS: Continuous perfusion in Mg2+-free medium generated spontaneous synchronized calcium oscillations, which were dose dependently depressed by the volatile anaesthetics enflurane and sevoflurane (0.25-1 minimum alveolar concentration). Addition of 100 nmol of 2-chloro-N6-cyclopentyladenosine, a specific adenosine A1 receptor antagonist, partly reversed the anaesthetic-induced inhibition of the oscillation amplitude of the oscillating cells. The effect of the anaesthetics was mimicked by the addition of S-(p-nitrobenzyl)-6-thioguanosine, an adenosine transport inhibitor and by the addition of 5-amino-5-deoxyadenosine, an inhibitor of adenosine kinase. CONCLUSIONS: The volatile anaesthetics sevoflurane and enflurane activate adenosine A1 receptors in primary rat hippocampal cultures. This effect is mediated by liberation of adenosine most likely by an interaction of the volatile anaesthetics with adenosine transport or key enzymes in adenosine metabolism.

The volatile anesthetic isoflurane suppresses spontaneous calcium oscillations in vitro in rat hippocampal neurons by activation of adenosine A1 receptors.

Primary cultures of rat hippocampal neurons were loaded with the Ca(2+)-indicator fluo-3 and studied with a confocal laser microscope. In Mg(2+)-free medium the cultures showed spontaneous synchronized calcium oscillations. These oscillations derived from excitatory signal transmission by N-methyl-D-aspartate and (+/-)-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid/kainate receptors and were modulated by gamma-aminobutyric acid(A) receptors. The oscillations were dose-dependently depressed by adenosine (IC50=2 microM) or by 2-chloro-N6-cyclopentyladenosine a specific adenosine A1 receptor agonist (IC50=40 nM). These effects were reverted by 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX), a specific adenosine A1 receptor antagonist. The volatile anesthetic isoflurane also depressed these spontaneous calcium oscillations in a dose dependent manner (IC50=0.25 MAC, Minimum Alveolar Concentration). The isoflurane-induced inhibition was partly reversed in 29-38% of the neurons by DPCPX, indicating that the anesthetic activates this receptor possibly by increasing the extracellular concentration of adenosine.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate induces a Ca2+ signal in primary rat astrocytes and a Ca2+ signal and shape changes in C6 rat glioma cells.

Treatment of rat glioma C6 cells with the beta-adrenergic agonist L-isoproterenol leads to a rise in cAMP level and a subsequent change in cell morphology from an epithelial to an astrocytic type of appearance. This morphological response is reverted by the addition of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) with an EC50 of 10 nM. In rat glioma C6 cells loaded with the Ca2+ indicator Fura-2, S1P evoked Ca2+ release from internal stores and Ca2+ influx from the external medium. Half-maximal stimulation of the Ca2+ increase was 10-20 nM. A similar Ca2+ signal was observed in primary rat astrocytes loaded with the Ca2+ indicator fluo-3. Pretreatment of the C6 cells with PMA (162 nM) prevented both the S1P-induced Ca2+ increase and the morphological reversion. Ca2+ ions therefore seem essential for the morphological reversion by S1P. Pretreatment of the cells with the Clostridium botulinum C3 exoenzyme did not affect the reversion of the morphological response by S1P, indicating that the small GTP-binding protein Rho is not involved in the S1P-induced reversion.

The volatile anesthetic enflurane activates capacitative Ca2+ channels in rat glioma C6 cells.

(1) The volatile anaesthetics halothane and enflurane released Ca2+ from thapsigargin sensitive stores in rat glioma C6 cells, but only enflurane induced a significant Ca2+ influx. (2) The reason for this can be explained by a different inhibitory effect of the anesthetics on the capacitative Ca2+ influx. (3) Halothane inhibited the capacitative Ca2+ influx with an IC50 of 1.9 vol.%, whereas enflurane only marginally affected the ion flux through the channel.

Influence of cadmium ions on endothelin-1 binding and calcium signaling in rat glioma C6 cells.

Cadmium ions did not influence the binding of endothelin-1 (ET-1) to its receptor on the surface of rat glioma C6 and rat aorta A10 cells. This was studied (a) by the binding of 1251-ET-1 to intact cells in the absence or presence of cadmium (Cd2+) and (b) by analysis of the receptor/ET-1 complex after crosslinking with disuccinimidyl suberate (DSS) or ethylene glycol-bis-(succinimidyl succinate) (EGS) on SDS PAGE. Using Fura-2 and Quin-2 loaded C6 rat glioma cells, it was shown that Cd2+ ions strongly interfered with the ET-1 induced Ca(2+)-influx in C6 glioma cells (IC50 approximately 10 microM).

Lysophosphatidic acid reverts the beta-adrenergic agonist-induced morphological response in C6 rat glioma cells.

Elevation of cAMP changes the morphology of C6 rat glioma cells from a fibroblast to an astrocyte type of appearance. This change is prevented by the presence of serum from different species (chicken, mouse, rat, horse, adult bovine, fetal bovine, and human) in the cell culture medium. In this communication the component in serum responsible for this effect is identified as lysophosphatidic acid for the following reasons: First, lysophosphatidic acid alone at concentrations which are present in serum reverts the morphological response. Second, both lysophosphatidic acid and the component in serum no longer revert the morphological response after treatment with phospholipase B (E.C.3.1.1.5). Third, lysophosphatidic acid and serum produce an analogous intracellular Cai2+ signal in rat glioma C6 cells as measured by fluorescence spectrophotometry with the Ca2+ ion indicator Fura 2. Fourth, both the morphological response and the Cai2+ increase are prevented by pretreatment of the cells with 100 ng/ml phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. Finally, a maximal Cai2+ increase induced by FCS prevents the subsequent Cai2+ signal by lysophosphatidic acid. Interestingly, the morphological response is also reverted by Al3+ together with F- ions and also by lower n-alkanols such as ethanol and n-propanol suggesting that a regulatory GTP-binding protein is involved in the reversion. It is further shown that activation of the phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate cleavage signal system is not responsible for the reversion of the morphological response.

Loss of the endothelin signal pathway in C6 rat glioma cells persistently infected with measles virus.

Endothelin 1 causes a strong Ca2+ signal in C6 rat glioma cells as measured by fura-2 fluorescence. This endothelin 1-induced Ca2+ signal was not observed when the cells were persistently infected with a measles virus strain of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE, strain Lec). Binding of 125I-labeled endothelin 1 to the C6/SSPE cells was less than 5% of the binding to the C6 control cells, suggesting that the impairment in signal transduction was due to a loss of binding sites for endothelin 1. Treatment of the C6/SSPE cells with measles antiserum resulted in the loss of expression of viral proteins located in the membrane as well as inside the cells (antigenic modulation), but it restored neither the endothelin 1-induced Ca2+ rise nor the 125I-endothelin 1 binding. Cocultivation of uninfected C6 cells with C6/SSPE cells (9:1 ratio) resulting in contact-mediated transmission of measles virus showed that the 125I-endothelin 1 binding activity was gradually lost as a consequence of persistent virus infection.

Volatile anesthetics stimulate the phorbol ester evoked neurotransmitter release from PC12 cells through an increase of the cytoplasmic Ca2+ ion concentration.

PC12 cells preloaded with [3H]norepinephrine release this neurotransmitter at a slow rate (basal release). This rate is increased by the addition of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), but not by a biologically inactive phorbol ester. This effect most likely is mediated by protein kinase C, since desensitization of this kinase abolished the stimulation of the neurotransmitter release by PMA. Unexpectedly, clinical concentrations of the volatile anesthetics halothane, enflurane, isoflurane and methoxyflurane stimulated the PMA evoked neurotransmitter release in good correlation with their anesthetic potency. Since the volatile anesthetics increased the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration of the PC12 cells in a dose dependent manner it seems very likely that the effect of the anesthetics on the PMA-evoked neurotransmitter release is mediated by this rise in Ca2+ concentration.

Effects of volatile anesthetics on cytoplasmic Ca2+ signaling and transmitter release in a neural cell line.

To provide new insights into the effects of volatile agents on the basic regulatory events involved in cytoplasmic free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) and stimulus-secretion coupling, the well-characterized clonal rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC12 was chosen as an experimental model. This cell line possesses nicotinic and muscarinic receptors, L-type voltage-operated channels (VOCs), and receptor-operated Ca2+ channels (ROCs). A PC12 variant, defective in nicotinic response, made it possible to study the influx-independent inositol trisphosphate-mediated intracellular Ca2+ release that is triggered by muscarinic receptor stimulation. [Ca2+]i was measured with the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator fura-2. Dopamine and norepinephrine secretion were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. High K+ and nicotinic-receptor-induced [Ca2+]i increase and catecholamine secretion were inhibited by halothane, enflurane, isoflurane, and methoxyflurane in a dose-dependent manner; half-maximal inhibition (IC50) occurred within the clinically relevant concentration range. The inhibition was reversible after wash-out of anesthetic; was not restricted to dihydropyridine-sensitive L-type VOCs; and could not be overcome by increasing extracellular Ca2+. The inhibitory mechanisms of volatile anesthetics therefore differed from those of classical organic Ca2(+)-channel blockers, a difference also reflected by the differing Hill coefficients found for both substance groups. In contrast, the muscarinic-receptor-evoked internal Ca2+ release remained unimpaired, and secretion even increased under anesthetic exposure. In conclusion, the current study provides evidence that volatile anesthetics depress the Ca2+ influx through at least two independent Ca2+ channels, one of which proved insensitive to the dihydropyridine Ca2(+)-channel blocker nifedipine. This is particularly noteworthy, since dihydropyridine-insensitive N-type VOCs, so far found exclusively in neurons, are assumed to play a dominant role in synaptic transmission, which, although resistant to dihydropyridine inhibition, is effectively blocked by volatile anesthetics.

Lack of selectivity between anesthetic stereoisomers for an inhibitory site which is located on a membrane protein.

Lack of selectivity towards anesthetic stereoisomers is one of the few criteria available for the identification of an anesthetic target site. Until now this criterion has not been tested for anesthetics that directly interact with sensitive membrane proteins which are considered the targets of anesthetic action. In this communication we show that stereoisomers of 2-butanol and 2,4-pentanediol did not differ in their inhibitory potency for a site located on the Na+/K+/Cl- co-transporter protein. This suggests that an inhibition site on a membrane protein can fulfill the criterion of lack of stereoisomer selectivity.

Thrombin reverts the beta-adrenergic agonist-induced morphological response in rat glioma C6 cells.

Treatment of rat glioma C6 cells with a beta-adrenergic agonist leads to a rise in cAMP level and a subsequent change in cell morphology from an epithelial to an astrocyte type of appearance. This morphological change is reverted by the addition of thrombin. In 10-15 min the cells acquire their normal epithelial morphology. The reversion by thrombin is inhibited by hirudin, but not by antithrombin III (an inhibitor of the proteolytic action of thrombin). Using the intracellular Ca2(+)-indicator fura-2, we observed that the addition of thrombin to the glioma cells generated a Ca2(+)-signal which was inhibited by pretreatment of the cells with hirudin or with 1 mM neomycin. These results suggest that thrombin uses the phospholipid-inositol pathway to counteract the morphological response, which was induced by activation of the cAMP pathway.

Lipid solubility is not the sole criterion for the inhibition of a Ca2(+)-activated K+ channel by alcohols.

The effect of a homologous series of n-alkanols (C2-C8) on the 86Rb+ influx through charybdotoxin sensitive Ca2(+)-activated K+ channels of rat glioma C6 cells was investigated. The lipid solubility of the n-alkanols was not the sole determinant of the inhibitory potency of these substances for ion flux inhibition. 1-Hexanol for example was about 8-times less potent than one would expect on the basis of its lipid solubility. The introduction of a second OH-group in this molecule (giving 1,6-hexanediol) or a structural shift in the OH-group of 1-hexanol from position 1 to 3 strongly increased the potency of the alcohol. The above data cannot be explained by a pure lipid site of action of the alcohols. Therefore it seems likely that direct effects on protein are involved in the inhibitory action of some of the alcohols.

Volatile anesthetics inhibit the ion flux through Ca2+-activated K+ channels of rat glioma C6 cells.

Ca2+-activated K+ channels in rat glioma C6 cells were investigated using monolayers of these cells in petri dishes. The ion flux through the channels was studied with 86Rb+ after addition of a Ca2+-ionophore to the incubation medium. Both the influx and efflux of 86Rb+ through these Ca2+-activated K+ channels were inhibited by the general anesthetic halothane (at clinical concentrations). Other volatile anesthetics such as isoflurane, enflurane and methoxyflurane also inhibited the Ca2+-activated K+ channels at clinical concentrations. Inhibition of these channels by general anesthetics could have profound effects on signal transmission in the brain.

The sodium channels of the neuroblastoma x glioma 108 CC 15 hybrid cell change their sensitivity for volatile and local anesthetics upon continuous passage.

We have studied the ion flux through the sodium channels of low passage number (less than 50 p.) and high passage number (greater than 150 p.) neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid cells using [14C] guanidinium and specific neurotoxins to induce channel opening and closing. The sodium channels of low passage number hybrid cells could be opened by veratridine alone, suggesting the presence of voltage dependent channels in agreement with electrophysiological studies reported in the literature. The sodium channels of the high passage number hybrid cells, however, needed the synergistic action of veratridine and scorpion toxin for activation suggesting that these channels are "silent". The [14C] guanidinium ion flux through the sodium channels of the high passage number hybrid cells was inhibited by significantly lower concentrations of the volatile anesthetics (halothane, isoflurane and enflurane) and the local anesthetics (tetracaine and bupivacaine) than the comparable flux through the sodium channels of the low passage number hybrid cells.

Presence of a charybdotoxin sensitive Ca2+-activated K+ channel in rat glioma C6 cells.

A study was made of the 86Rb+ influx and efflux through Ca2+-activated K+ channels of intact rat glioma C6 cells after addition of a Ca2+ ionophore to the incubation medium. Half-maximal activation of the channels was obtained at a cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration of approximately 400 nM. The 86Rb+ ion flux through the Ca2+-activated K+ channels was insensitive to apamin, but was inhibited by low concentrations of charybdotoxin (IC50 = 1.6 nM). This is the first evidence for the presence of charybdotoxin-sensitive Ca2+-activated K+ channels in glial cells.

Occurrence of 40 S.polysomal complexes in polysome profiles of reticulocyte lysates.

In most reticulocyte lysates 40 S.polysomal complexes have such a short lifetime that they will not show up in the polysome profile. Here we describe a reticulocyte lysate where these 40 S.polysomal complexes apparently have a highly increased lifetime and therefore these complexes can be seen in the polysome profile as shoulders on the di-, tri- and tetrasome peak. The presence of these complexes in lysates probably signals an increased speed in the association of 40 S subunits with mRNA since similar alterations as described above show up in the polysome profile of normal lysates to which native ribosomal 40 S subunits were added.

Characterization of an Na+/K+/Cl- co-transport in primary cultures of rat astrocytes.

The furosemide- and bumetanide-sensitive component of the 86Rb+ uptake into primary cultures of rat astrocytes was fully dependent on the simultaneous presence of Na+ and Cl- in the incubation mixture and is therefore most likely an Na+/K+/Cl- co-transporter. As expected for such a co-transporter, its activity is insensitive to 0.1 mM amiloride and to 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid, and of the tested anions, only Br- could partly replace Cl-. The K0.5 values for K+, Na+ and Cl- activation were 2.7, 35 and 40 mM, respectively. The activity of the co-transporter was stimulated 1.5-times in hyperosmolar (500 mosM) medium.

Volatile anesthetics depress the depolarization-induced cytoplasmic calcium rise in PC 12 cells.

In the rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC 12, the effects of four volatile anesthetics (halothane, isoflurane, enflurane, methoxyflurane) on the K+-evoked intracellular calcium [( Ca2+]i) rise were investigated using the Ca2+-sensitive fluorescence dye fura-2. The [Ca2+]i rise was depressed, at clinical concentrations, by all anesthetics with almost identical aqueous IC50 values. The study extends to neuronal cells the observation made previously in cardiac tissue that volatile anesthetics may interfere with Ca2+ fluxes through voltage-gated channels.