Modulation by caffeine of calcium-release microdomains in frog skeletal muscle fibers
The effects of caffeine on the process of excitation-contraction coupling in amphibian skeletal muscle fibers were investigated using the confocal spot detection technique. This method permits to carefully discriminate between caffeine effects on the primary sources of Ca2+ release at the Z-lines wh...
Main Authors: | , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
BMC
2006-01-01
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Series: | Biological Research |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0716-97602006000300017 |
Summary: | The effects of caffeine on the process of excitation-contraction coupling in amphibian skeletal muscle fibers were investigated using the confocal spot detection technique. This method permits to carefully discriminate between caffeine effects on the primary sources of Ca2+ release at the Z-lines where the triads are located and secondary actions on other potential Ca Release sources. Our results demonstrate that 0.5 mM caffeine potentiates and prolongs localized action-potential evoked Ca2+ transients recorded at the level of the Z-lines, but that 1mM only prolongs them. The effects at both doses are reversible. At the level of the M-line, localized Ca2+ transients displayed more variability in the presence of 1 mM caffeine than in control conditions. At this dose of caffeine, extra-junctional sources of Ca2+ release also were observed occasionally. |
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ISSN: | 0716-9760 0717-6287 |