Quinine inhibits mitochondrial ATP-regulated potassium channel from bovine heart.

The mitochondrial ATP-regulated potassium (mitoK(ATP) channel has been suggested as trigger and effector in myocardial ischemic preconditioning. However, molecular and pharmacological properties of the mitoK(ATP) channel remain unclear. In the present study, single-channel activity was measured after reconstitution of the inner mitochondrial membrane from bovine ventricular myocardium into bilayer lipid membrane. After incorporation, a potassium-selective current was recorded with mean conductance of 103 +/- 9 pS in symmetrical 150 mM KCl. Single-channel activity of this reconstituted protein showed properties of the mitoK(ATP) channel: it was blocked by 500 microM ATP/Mg, activated by the potassium-channel opener diazoxide at 30 microM, inhibited by 50 microM glibenclamide or 150 microM 5-hydroxydecanoic acid, and was not affected by the plasma membrane ATP-regulated potassium-channel blocker HMR1098 at 100 microM. We observed that the mitoK(ATP) channel was blocked by quinine in the micromolar concentration range. The inhibition by quinine was additionally verified with the use of 86Rb+ flux experiments and submitochondrial particles. Quinine inhibited binding of the sulfonylurea derivative [3H]glibenclamide to the inner mitochondrial membrane. We conclude that quinine inhibits the cardiac mitoK(ATP) channel by acting on the mitochondrial sulfonylurea receptor.

[Effects of steroid hormones on nicotinic acetylcholine receptor channel kinetics]. / Wplyw hormonów steroidowych na kinetyke nikotynowego receptora acetylcholiny.

Classically steroid hormones acts through genomic mechanism. In the last period there is more evidence that some steroid hormones exert fast (in order of seconds) effects on membrane receptors. In the presented work we analysed the effects of some steroid hormones on muscle acetylcholine receptor (AChR) channel kinetics. We divided steroid hormone on two groups which exert different effects. The first group including hydrocortisone (HC), corticosterone (COR), dexamethasone decrease the mean open time increasing the number of openings in bursts. The effects do not depend on agonist concentration. Some effects of HC and COR are voltage-dependent. The mechanism of such voltage dependent action caused by steroids hormones that are uncharged molecules, is unknown. Some experiments suggest however that an agonist molecule is involved in the mechanism of steroid action. The second group consists of progesterone, some of its derivatives and deoxycorticosterone. For this group the most evident effect was decrease in the probability of openings without a decrease in the mean open time. The effect depends on agonist concentration, suggesting an involvement of an agonist molecule in the mechanism. For this hormones an involvement of an charged agonist molecule does not however induce a voltage dependency. Most probably two groups of steroids acts on different part of the AChR. The localization of a steroid action site can be crucial for inducing voltage dependency.

Ion channels-related diseases.

There are many diseases related to ion channels. Mutations in muscle voltage-gated sodium, potassium, calcium and chloride channels, and acetylcholine-gated channel may lead to such physiological disorders as hyper- and hypokalemic periodic paralysis, myotonias, long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, malignant hyperthermia and myasthenia. Neuronal disorders, e.g., epilepsy, episodic ataxia, familial hemiplegic migraine, Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, hyperekplexia may result from dysfunction of voltage-gated sodium, potassium and calcium channels, or acetylcholine- and glycine-gated channels. Some kidney disorders, e.g., Bartter's syndrome, policystic kidney disease and Dent's disease, secretion disorders, e.g., hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia of infancy and cystic fibrosis, vision disorders, e.g., congenital stationary night blindness and total colour-blindness may also be linked to mutations in ion channels.

Changes in the membrane potential can affect pepsinogen secretion of isolated rat chief cells.

The aim of this study was to determine pepsinogen secretion by isolated rat chief cells in relation to changes of membrane potential obtained by the use of potassium ionophore valinomycin and different extracellular K+ concentrations, or protonophore carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone (CCCP) at different pH. While valinomycin or CCCP decreased basal and cAMP-stimulated secretory response of the chief cells, they increased secretion of pepsinogen stimulated by calcium ionophore A23187. When Ca2+ was absent from the incubation media, A23187-stimulated secretion of pepsinogen significantly decreased. Moreover, the omission extracellular calcium reversed the potentiating effects of valinomycin or CCCP on A23187-stimulated secretory response. It is known that pepsinogen secretion is a biphasic process. In the first phase, Ca2+ is released from its intracellular stores, while the second one depends on extracellular calcium entering the cell. Our results suggest that this phase is dependent also on membrane potential.

Does the membrane potential control incorporation of tubulovesicles into the secreting apical membrane of the rat parietal cell?

The present studies were designed to examine the effect of changes in membrane potential by means of protonophore carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) and variations in the pH of the medium on the secretory response of parietal cells. Studies were performed in vitro using isolated cells from rat stomachs and acid production was indirectly determined by 14C-aminopyrine (AP) accumulation. CCCP affected both basal and histamine-stimulated AP accumulation in a concentration-dependent manner. The AP accumulation ratios depended on pH of the incubation medium; the ratio was lowest at pH 6.6, and increased progressively as the pH of the medium increased to 7.8. Moreover, the decreases in AP accumulation ratios caused by simultaneous addition of CCCP and AP to cell suspensions compared to those in which CCCP was added to incubated cells after achieving the steady-state of AP accumulation were quantitatively similar. These findings suggest that the decrease in AP accumulation due to CCCP treatment is a consequence of an activation of acid secretion rather than an inhibitor of acid production. From the present and previously published data, we propose a working hypothesis: membrane recycling is dependent on changes in apical membrane potential.

The relationship between extracellular K+ and Ca2+ on aminopyrine accumulation in rat parietal cells.

The effects of extracellular K+ in relation to extracellular Ca2+ on acid production were studied. Studies were performed in vitro using isolated cells from rat stomachs, and acid production was indirectly determined by 14C-aminopyrine (AP) accumulation. In the absence of K+ in the incubation medium histamine-stimulated AP accumulation ratios were significantly decreased independently in the presence or absence of extracellular Ca2+. Under basal conditions, in the absence of extracellular Ca2+, increasing concentrations of extracellular K+ enhanced AP accumulation ratios to significantly higher than those found in the presence of Ca2+. In histamine-, cAMP-, and carbachol-stimulated parietal cells, high K+ concentrations increased AP accumulation significantly less in Ca(2+)-free than in Ca(2+)-containing media. High K+ also induced significantly both an increase in cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration and 45Ca2+ uptake. The present results confirmed the importance of K+ in gastric acid production and suggested a role for Ca2+ as a modulator of mechanisms of parietal cell stimulation.

Adhesion of human platelets to collagen: evidence for two states of platelet activation.

Normal human platelets suspended in buffer were exposed to a suspension of bovine tendon collagen fibrils and the rate of adhesion observed over a period of 60 minutes. In fresh platelet preparations, approximately 15-20% of the platelets adhered within one minute, and the total percent adhesion, following pseudo first order kinetics after the first minute, approached 60% after 60 minutes. Pre-treatment with N-ethylmaleimide, dithiothreitol, and glutaraldehyde reduced adhesion at 1 minute to less than 5%, but only N-ethylmaleimide completely blocked adhesion at 60 minutes. Thus, freshly collected, washed human platelets contain two distinct subpopulations exhibiting greatly differing rates of adhesion, reflecting different levels of reactivity toward collagen.

Contact potential difference of cells in vitro as a measure of hydrophilic properties of the cell membrane.

Construction of an apparatus for the determination of the cell contact potential difference and the measuring method are described. The contact potential differences are attributed to the degree of hydrophobic properties of the cell surface and referred to human erythrocytes and chloroplasts.