Paul Vigne

The sodium/hydrogen exchange system in cardiac cells: Its biochemical and pharmacological properties and its role in regulating internal concentrations of sodium and internal pH

This paper describes the properties of the amiloride-sensitive Na+/H+ antiporter in chick cardiac cells, compares them with those known in other cellular systems and analyzes the role of the Na+/H+ exchanger in the regulation of internal Na+ concentrations and internal pH. Among the different properties which have been studied one can mention: (i) The external Na+ concentration [( Na+]o) dependence: the activity increases when [Na+]o increases (KNa+ = 20 mM); (ii) The external pH (pHo) dependence: the activity of the exchanger increases when pHo increases (pHmo = 7.05 and Hill coefficient = 1); (iii) The internal pH (pHi) dependence; the activity of the exchanger increases in a cooperative way when internal pH (pHi) decreases (pHmi = 7.35 and Hill coefficient = 3); (iv) There are derivatives of amiloride which are 200 times more potent than amiloride itself (Kethylisopropylamiloride = 30 nM) and which are selective on the Na+/H+ exchange system v. other Na+ transporting system including the Na+/Ca2+ exchange system. Under physiological conditions, the Na+/H+ exchange system contributes little to the regulation of the internal pH of chick cardiac cells. The antiporter then serves as an uptake system for Na+ using the H+ gradient created by other pHi regulatory mechanisms. Treatment of cardiac cells with ouabain inhibits Na+ efflux and produced an increase in intracellular Na+ activity. Ethylisopropylamiloride was used to show that the Na+/H+ exchange system is the main pathway for Na+ entry and accumulation in digitalis action. As expected amiloride derivatives which block Na+ entry via the Na+/H+ antiporter were found to antagonize ouabain action on cardiac cells. When the internal pH of cardiac cells is lowered, the Na+/H+ exchanger becomes the major pHi regulating system. It is the essential system by which cardiac cells recover from cellular acidosis. The situation is due both to an increased activity of the exchanger at acidic pHi and to a decreased activity of other pHi regulatory systems. We propose in this paper that the Na+/H+ exchange system plays a key role in Na+ accumulation followed by Ca2+ accumulation which is observed when ischemic hearts are reperfused.

Molecular mechanism of action of the vasoconstrictor peptide endothelin

Endothelin, one of the most potent vasoconstrictor known, has been suggested to act as an endogenous agonist of L-type Ca2+ channels. In this paper we show that endothelin stimulates the metabolism of inositol phosphates and induces the mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ stores. The transient activation of Ca2+-sensitive K+ channel provokes an hyperpolarization of the membrane. It is followed by a sustained depolarization which is due to the opening of a non-specific cation channel which is permeable to Ca2+ and Mg2+. The depolarization then activates L-type Ca2+ channels. This mechanism of action explains why part of the endothelin-induced vasocontriction is eliminated by L-type Ca2+ channel blockers.

Ethylisopropyl-amiloride: A new and highly potent derivative of amiloride for the inhibition of the Na+H+ exchange system in various cell types

Ethylisopropyl-amiloride is 100 times more potent than amiloride for inhibiting the Na+/H+ exchanger of 3T3 fibroblasts, chick skeletal muscle cells and chick cardiac cells. Half-maximum effects, measured at 3 mM external Na+ are observed at 20-100 nM and 5 microM for ethylisopropyl-amiloride and amiloride respectively. As previously observed for amiloride, the effect of ethylisopropyl-amiloride is antagonized by external Na+ ions.

Astrocytes are target cells for endothelins and sarafotoxin.

Abstract: Endothelin‐I, endothelin‐3, and the snake venom toxin sarafotoxin 56b stimulate the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol by phospholipase C with similar potencies in primary cultures of astrocytes prepared from rat brain cortex. In indo I‐loaded cells, endoth elin‐I, endothelin‐2, endothelin‐3, and sarafotoxin induce the rapid mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ stores and promote a more slowly developing influx of Ca2*+. These responses were insensitive to pertussis toxin and to inhibitors of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase. Similar actions of endothelins and sarafotoxin were observed using astrocytes from the cerebellum and glioma cells from the C6 and NN cell lines. The endthelin receptor of astrocytes differs from the receptor previously characterized in endothelial cells from brain microvessels in that it has a high affnity for endothelin‐3. Thus, brain endothelin‐l and endothelin‐3 have different target cells in the brain and may have different functions.

Endothelin-1 as a Mediator of Endothelial Cell-Pericyte Interactions in Bovine Brain Capillaries

Endothelial cells and pericytes are closely associated in brain capillaries. Together with astrocytic foot processes, they form the blood–brain barrier. Capillaries were isolated from bovine brain cortex. Pure populations of endothelial cells and pericytes were isolated and cultured in vitro. Polarized monolayers of endothelial cells preferentially secreted immunoreactive endothelin-1 (Et-1) at their abluminal (brain-facing) membrane. They did not express receptors for Et-1. Pericytes expressed BQ-123-sensitive ETA receptors for endothelins as evidenced by 125I-Et-1 binding experiments. These receptors were coupled to phospholipase C as demonstrated by intracellular calcium measurements using indo-1-loaded cells. Addition of Et-1 to pericytes induced marked changes in the cell morphology that were associated with a reorganization of F-actin and intermediate filaments. It is concluded that Et-1 is a paracrine mediator at the bovine blood–brain barrier and that capillary pericytes are target cells for endothelium-derived Et-1.

The inotropic effect of endothelin-1 on rat atria involves hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol

Endothelin‐1 induces a positive inotropic response in isolated left atria of the rat with an IC50 value of 20 nM. The contractile effect of endothelin is larger than that of other inotropic hormones such as phenylephrine and epinephrine and smaller than that of Bay K8644. In the spontaneously active right atria, endothelin induces a positive inotropic effect with no chronotropic effect. Endothelin does not modify intracellular levels of cAMP under basal conditions or after stimulation with isoproterenol but stimulates the formation of inositol phosphates. Mobilization of inositol phospholipids is observed in the same range of concentrations as for the contractile action of endothelin. The contractile action of endothelin is not mediated by protein kinase C. It is antagonized by blockers of L‐type Ca2+ channels, low external Ca2+ concentrations and drugs such as caffeine and ryanodine that interfere with Ca2+ release by the sarcoplasmic reticulum.

Amiloride and its analogs as tools to inhibit Na+ transport via the Na+ channel, the Na+/H+ antiport and the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger

Amiloride analogs inhibit a number of transmembrane Na+ transport systems: 1) the epithelium Na+ channel, 2) the Na+/H+ exchange system and 3) the Na+/Ca2+ exchange system. Structure--activity relationships using amiloride derivatives with selected modification of each of the functional groups of the molecule indicate that the 3 Na+ transporting systems have distinct pharmacological profiles. 5-N Disubstituted derivatives of amiloride, such as ethylisopropylamiloride are the most potent inhibitors of the Na+/H+ exchange system. Conversely, amiloride derivatives that are substituted on the guanidino moiety, such as phenamil, are potent inhibitors of the epithelium Na+ channel. It is thus possible, by using selected amiloride derivatives to inhibit selectively one or another of the Na+ transport systems.

Tetradotoxin-sensitive and tetrodotoxin-resistant Na+ channels differ in their sensitivity to Cd2+ and Zn2+

The sensitivity of Na+ channels to inhibition by Cd2+ and Zn2+ was studied in 22Na+ uptake experiments after stabilization of an open conformation of the Na+ channels with different neurotoxins and in voltage clamp experiments. Six different cell types of neuronal, cardiac or skeletal muscle origin were surveyed. Three cell types possess Na+ channels that are highly sensitive to tetrodotoxin (TTX) (Kd = 1-5 nM) and three possess Na+ channels that are resistant to TTX (Kd = 0.3-1 microM). The 22Na+ uptake experiments using veratridine or batrachotoxin to activate Na+ channels indicated that TTX-resistant Na+ channels are more sensitive to the inhibitory action of Cd2+ (IC50(Cd2+) = 0.2 mM) and of Zn2+ (IC50(Zn2+) = 50 microM) than TTX-sensitive Na+ channels (IC50(Cd2+) = 5 mM, IC50(Zn2+) = 2 mM). Electrophysiological experiments showed that high concentrations of Cd2+ (IC50 = 2 mM) are necessary to inhibit both TTX-sensitive and TTX-insensitive Na+ channels when the channels are activated by voltage steps. The results suggest that Cd2+ acts competitively with veratridine or batrachotoxin and that the difference in the effects of Cd2+ and Zn2+ on 22Na+ fluxes in TTX-sensitive and TTX-resistant cells is related to differences at the site of action of alkaloid neurotoxins.

Different functional states of tetrodotoxin sensitive and tetrodotoxin resistant Na+ channels occur during the in vitro development of rat skeletal muscle

AbstractThere are three stages of differentiation of voltage dependent Na+ channels during the in vitro development of rat skeletal muscle.(i)Myoblasts which are less than 60 h old in culture have Na+ channels which normally do not give rise to action potentials but do so after treatment of the cells with very low concentrations of sea anemone toxin. These Na+ channels revealed by sea anemone toxin are resistant to TTX.(ii)Myoblasts prior to fusion are electrically excitable (