Ryanodine affects excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal and cardiac muscle by specifically interacting with the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release channel. The effect of the drug at the single channel level was studied by incorporating skeletal and cardiac SR vesicles into planar lipid bilayers. The two channels were activated by micromolar free Ca2+ and millimolar ATP and inhibited by Mg2+ and ruthenium red. Addition of micromolar concentrations of ryanodine decreased about twofold the unit conductance of the Ca2+- and ATP-activated skeletal and cardiac channels. A second effect of ryanodine was to increase the open probability (Po) of the channels in such a way that Po was close to unity under a variety of activating and inactivating conditions. The effects of ryanodine were long lasting in that removal of ryanodine by perfusion did not return the channels into their fully conducting state.

No abstract

Caffeine is thought to affect excitation-contraction coupling in cardiac muscle by activating the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+-release channel. The effect of caffeine at the single channel level was studied by incorporating canine cardiac SR vesicles into planar lipid bilayers. Cardiac Ca2+-release channels were activated in a steady-state manner by millimolar cis-caffeine and displayed a unitary conductance (77 pS in 50 mM Ca2+ trans) similar to that previously observed for the Ca2+-activated cardiac channel. The caffeine-activated channel was moderately sensitive to the voltage applied across the bilayer, was sensitive to further activation by ATP, and was inhibited by Mg2+ and ruthenium red. Kinetic analysis showed that at low Ca2+ concentration, caffeine activated the channel by increasing the frequency and the duration of open events.

18 F-DCFPyL (2-(3-{1-carboxy-5-[(6-18 F-fluoro-pyridine-3-carbonyl)amino]-pentyl}-ureido)-pentanedioic acid), a prostate-specific membrane antigen-targeting radiotracer, has shown promise as a prostate cancer imaging radiotracer. We evaluated the safety, sensitivity, and impact on patient management of 18 F-DCFPyL in the setting of biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer. Methods: Subjects with prostate cancer and biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy or curative-intent radiotherapy were included in this prospective study. The subjects underwent 18 F-DCFPyL PET/CT imaging. The localization and number of lesions were recorded. The uptake characteristics of the 5 most active lesions were measured. A pre-and posttest questionnaire was sent to treating physicians to assess the impact on management. Results: One hundred thirty subjects were evaluated. 18 F-DCFPyL PET/CT localized recurrent prostate cancer in 60% of cases with a prostate-specific antigen

Purified canine cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles were passively loaded with 45CaCl2 and assayed for Ca2+ releasing activity according to a rapid quench protocol. Ca2+ release from a subpopulation of vesicles was found to be activated by micromolar Ca2+ and millimolar adenine nucleotides, and inhibited by millimolar Mg2+ and micromolar ruthenium red. 45Ca2+ release in the presence of 10 microM free Ca2+ gave a half-time for efflux of 20 ms. Addition of 5 mM ATP to 10 microM free Ca2+ increased efflux twofold (t1/2 = 10 ms). A high-conductance calcium-conducting channel was incorporated into planar lipid bilayers from the purified cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum fractions. The channel displayed a unitary conductance of 75 +/- 3 pS in 53 mM trans Ca2+ and was selective for Ca2+ vs. Tris+ by a ratio of 8.74. The channel was dependent on cis Ca2+ for activity and was also stimulated by millimolar ATP. Micromolar ruthenium red and millimolar Mg2+ were inhibitory, and reduced open probability in single-channel recordings. These studies suggest that cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum contains a high-conductance Ca2+ channel that releases Ca2+ with rates significant to excitation-contraction coupling.