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Calcium-induced calcium release activates contraction in intact cardiac cells

  • Heart, Circulation, Respiration and Blood; Environmental and Exercise Physiology
  • Short Communication
  • Published:
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Abstract

The “caged” calcium chelator Nitr-5 was Incorporated into isolated rat ventricular myocytes. Brief illumination with ultra-violet light made the cell twitch. The light-induced twitch was inhibited by ryanodine (1–10 μM) suggesting that it resulted from calcium-induced release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Inhibition of the Ca current (Ni, 10 mM) abolished the electrically stimulated twitch but did not inhibit the light-induced twitch. These results provide direct evidence for the importance of Ca-induced Ca release in excitation-contraction coupling in the heart.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, University College London, Gower St., WC1E 6BT, London, UK

    M. Valdeolmillos, S. C. O'Neill, G. L. Smith & D. A. Eisner

  2. Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain

    M. Valdeolmillos

  3. Institute of Physiology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK

    G. L. Smith

Authors
  1. M. Valdeolmillos
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  2. S. C. O'Neill
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  3. G. L. Smith
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  4. D. A. Eisner
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Valdeolmillos, M., O'Neill, S.C., Smith, G.L. et al. Calcium-induced calcium release activates contraction in intact cardiac cells. Pflugers Arch. 413, 676 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00581820

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00581820

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