• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.245-249
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• 2014

Murrayafoline-A (1-methoxy-3-methylcarbazole) is a monomeric carbazole alkaloid found in Murraya euchrestifolia HAYATA and Glycosmis stenocarpa. We have recently shown that murrayafoline-A has positive inotropic effect in isolated rat ventricular myocytes. To know possible mechanisms for the positive inotropic effect of murrayafoline-A we examined the effects of murrayafoline-A on in situ behavior of cardiac $Ca^{2+}$ release units ('$Ca^{2+}$ sparks') and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) $Ca^{2+}$ loading using confocal $Ca^{2+}$ imaging method in single rat ventricular myocytes. Murrayafoline-A significantly increased the frequency (events/($10^3{\mu}m^2{\cdot}s$)) of $Ca^{2+}$ sparks in a concentration-dependent manner, with an $EC_{50}$ of $28{\pm}6.4{\mu}M$ and a maximal ~twofold change. The $Ca^{2+}$ content in the SR, measured as caffeine (10 mM)-induced $Ca^{2+}$ transient, was significantly increased by murrayafoline-A (${\approx}$116% and ${\approx}$123% of control at 25 and 100 ${\mu}M$, respectively). In addition, murrayafoline-A significantly increased the fractional $Ca^{2+}$ release, suggesting increase in the efficacy of $Ca^{2+}$ release at given SR $Ca^{2+}$ loading. These results suggest that murrayafoline-A may enhance contractility via increase in $Ca^{2+}$ release from the SR through the ryanodine receptors in ventricular myocytes.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.335-344
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• 2024

Diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) has been widely used as an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase (Nox) to discover its function in cardiac myocytes under various stimuli. However, the effects of DPI itself on Ca²⁺ signaling and contraction in cardiac myocytes under control conditions have not been understood. We investigated the effects of DPI on contraction and Ca²⁺ signaling and their underlying mechanisms using video edge detection, confocal imaging, and whole-cell patch clamp technique in isolated rat cardiac myocytes. Application of DPI suppressed cell shortenings in a concentration-dependent manner (IC₅₀ of ≅0.17 µM) with a maximal inhibition of ~70% at ~100 µM. DPI decreased the magnitude of Ca²⁺ transient and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ content by 20%-30% at 3 µM that is usually used to remove the Nox activity, with no effect on fractional release. There was no significant change in the half-decay time of Ca²⁺ transients by DPI. The L-type Ca²⁺ current (I_Ca) was decreased concentration-dependently by DPI (IC₅₀ of ≅40.3 µM) with ≅13.1%-inhibition at 3 µM. The frequency of Ca²⁺ sparks was reduced by 3 µM DPI (by ~25%), which was resistant to a brief removal of external Ca²⁺ and Na⁺. Mitochondrial superoxide level was reduced by DPI at 3-100 µM. Our data suggest that DPI may suppress L-type Ca²⁺ channel and RyR, thereby attenuating Ca²⁺-induced Ca²⁺ release and contractility in cardiac myocytes, and that such DPI effects may be related to mitochondrial metabolic suppression.