We investigated the use of rhodamine 123 (R123), tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester (TMRM), and tetramethylrhodamine ethyl ester (TMRE) as fluorescent probes to monitor the membrane potential of mitochondria. These indicator dyes are lipophilic cations accumulated by mitochondria in proportion to DeltaPsi. Upon accumulation, all three dyes exhibit a red shift in both their absorption and fluorescence emission spectra. The fluorescence intensity is quenched when the dyes are accumulated by mitochondria. These properties have been used to develop a method to dynamically monitor DeltaPsi of isolated rat heart mitochondria using a ratio fluorescence approach. All three dyes bound to the inner and outer aspects of the inner mitochondrial membrane and, as a result, were accumulated by mitochondria in a greater quantity than predicted by the Nernst equation. Binding to mitochondria was temperature-dependent and the degree of binding was in the order of TMRE > R123 > TMRM. The internal and external partition coefficients for binding were determined to correct for binding in the calculation of DeltaPsi. All three dyes suppressed mitochondrial respiratory control to some extent. Inhibition of respiration was greatest with TMRE, followed by R123 and TMRM. When used at low concentrations, TMRM did not suppress respiration. The use of these dyes and ratio fluorescence techniques affords a simple method for measurement of DeltaPsi of isolated mitochondria. We also applied this approach to the isolated perfused heart to determine whether DeltaPsi could be monitored in an intact tissue. Wavelength scanning of the surface fluorescence of the heart under various conditions after accumulation of TMRM indicated that the mitochondrial matrix-induced wavelength shift of TMRM also occurs in the heart cytosol, eliminating the use of this approach in the intact heart.

Corticosteroids provide an effective treatment to reduce edema for conditions in which the blood-brain or blood-retinal barrier is compromised. However, little is known about the mechanism by which these hormones affect endothelial cell function. We hypothesized that hydrocortisone would reduce transport of water and solutes across bovine retinal endothelial cell (BREC) monolayers coincident with changes to the tight junction protein occludin. Treatment of BREC with 103 nM hydrocortisone for two days significantly decreased water and solute transport across cell monolayers. Immunoblot analysis of occludin extracted in SDS or urea based buffers revealed a 1.65-or 2.57-fold increase in content, respectively. A similar two-fold increase in occludin mRNA was observed by real-time PCR. Immunocytochemistry revealed hydrocortisone dramatically increased both occludin and ZO-1 staining at the cell border. Additionally, 4 h of hydrocortisone treatment significantly reduced occludin phosphorylation. To our knowledge, this is the first example of a regulated decrease in occludin phosphorylation associated with increased barrier properties. In conclusion, hydrocortisone directly affects retinal endothelial cell barrier properties coincident with changes in occludin content, phosphorylation and tight junction assembly. Localized hydrocortisone therapy may be developed as a treatment option for patients suffering from retinal edema due to diabetes.

Chronic exercise training elicits positive adaptations in cardiac contractile function and ventricular dimension. The potential contribution of single myocyte morphological and functional adaptations to these global responses to training was determined in this study. Left ventricular cardiac myocytes were isolated from the hearts of sedentary control (Sed) or exercise-trained (TR) rats. Training elicited an approximately 5% increase in resting myocyte length (Sed, 121.0 +/- 2.0 vs. TR, 126.7 +/- 2.0 microns; P < 0.05), whereas resting sarcomere length and midpoint cell width were unaffected. These data suggest that longitudinal myocyte growth contributes to the training-induced increase in end-diastolic dimension. Single myocytes (28 degrees C) were stimulated at 0.067 and 0.2 Hz and shortening dynamics assessed at extracellular Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]o) of 0.6, 1.1, and 2.0 mM. In both groups, maximal extent of myocyte shortening (ESmax) increased as [Ca2+]o increased and decreased as contraction frequency increased. TR myocytes were more strongly influenced by the effects of [Ca2+]o and frequency. At 0.067 Hz and 2.0 mM, ESmax was greater in TR than in Sed myocytes. The magnitude of this difference decreased as [Ca2+]o was reduced. At 0.2 Hz, ESmax was similar in Sed and TR myocytes at 2.0 mM [Ca2+]o. As [Ca2+]o was reduced, ESmax decreased more rapidly in TR than in Sed myocytes; at 0.6 mM, ESmax was greater in Sed than in TR myocytes. Our data indicate that chronic exercise influences cardiac contractile function at the single myocyte level. This study also provides evidence in support of the hypothesis that chronic exercise influences myocyte Ca2+ influx and efflux pathways.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Erythropoietin and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) stimulate the differentiation and proliferation of erythroid cells. To determine the cellular mechanism of action of these growth factors, we measured changes in intracellular free calcium concentration (jCaJ) in single human erythroid precursors in response to recombinant erythropoietin and GM-CSF. [CaJ in immature erythroblasts derived from cultured human cord blood erythroid progenitors was measured with fluorescence microscopy digital video imaging.When stimulated with erythropoietin, [CaJ in the majority of erythroblasts increased within 3 min, peaked at 5 min, and returned toward baseline at 10 min. The percentage of cells that responded to erythropoietin stimulation increased in a dose-dependent manner. Additional stimulation with GM-CSF in cells previously exposed to erythropoietin resulted in a second [Ca¢J increase. Immature erythroblasts treated with GM-CSF followed by erythropoietin responded similarly to each factor with a rise in [Ck]. The source of transient calcium is intracellular since erythroblasts were incubated in medium devoid of extracellular calcium. Our observations suggest that changes in [CaJ may be an intracellular signal that mediates the proliferative/differentiating effect of hematopoietic growth factors.

Oligodendroglial death due to overactivation of the AMPA/kainate glutamate receptors is implicated in white matter damage in multiple CNS disorders. We previously demonstrated that glutamate induces caspase-3 activation and death of the late oligodendrocyte progenitor known as the pro-oligodendroblast (pro-OL) via activation of the AMPA/kainate glutamate receptors. We also demonstrated that IGF-I had the unique ability to sustain activation of Akt in the pro-OL and provide long-term protection of these cells from glutamate-mediated apoptosis. The goal of these studies was to investigate the mechanisms of glutamate toxicity and IGF-I-mediated survival in the pro-OL. IGF-I prevented glutamate-induced loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, cytochrome c release, and caspase-9 activation. In contrast to IGF-I mediated survival mechanisms in neurons, IGF-I had no effect on the influx or recovery of intracellular calcium levels or on levels of major pro- and anti-apoptotic molecules including Bax or Bcl-xL. Rather, IGF-I prevented the glutamate-induced translocation of Bax to the mitochondria. Moreover, IGF-I prevented caspase-3 activation in pro-OLs as long as 8 h after exposure of the cells to glutamate, suggesting that delayed activation of IGF-I-mediated survival pathways can block glutamate-mediated apoptosis in pro-OLs. The results of these experiments define the mechanisms by which glutamate kills oligodendrocyte progenitor cells and by which IGF-I blocks glutamate-induced apoptosis in these cells. The data also demonstrate that IGF-I disrupts the glutamate-mediated apoptotic pathway in the pro-OL through mechanisms that are distinct from its survival-promoting actions in neurons.

A sudden increase in the transmural pressure gradient across endothelial monolayers reduces hydraulic conductivity (Lp), a phenomenon known as the sealing effect. To further characterize this endothelial adaptive response, we measured bovine aortic endothelial cell (BAEC) permeability to albumin and 70-kDa dextran, Lp, and the solvent-drag reflection coefficients () during the sealing process. The diffusional permeability coefficients for albumin (1.33 Ϯ 0.18 ϫ 10 Ϫ6 cm/s) and dextran (0.60 Ϯ 0.16 ϫ 10 Ϫ6 cm/s) were measured before pressure application. The effective permeabilities (measured when solvent drag contributes to solute transport) of albumin and dextran (P e alb and P e dex ) were measured after the application of a 10 cmH2O pressure gradient; during the first 2 h of pressure application, P e alb , P e dex , and Lp were significantly reduced by 2.0 Ϯ 0.3-, 2.1 Ϯ 0.3-, and 3.7 Ϯ 0.3-fold, respectively. Immunostaining of the tight junction (TJ) protein zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) was significantly increased at cell-cell contacts after the application of transmural pressure. Cytochalasin D treatment significantly elevated transport but did not inhibit the adaptive response, whereas colchicine treatment had no effect on diffusive permeability but inhibited the adaptive response. Neither cytoskeletal inhibitor altered despite significantly elevating both Lp and effective permeability. Our data suggest that BAECs actively adapt to elevated transmural pressure by mobilizing ZO-1 to intercellular junctions via microtubules. A mechanical (passive) component of the sealing effect appears to reduce the size of a small pore system that allows the transport of water but not dextran or albumin. Furthermore, the structures of the TJ determine transport rates but do not define the selectivity of the monolayer to solutes (). permeability; hydraulic conductivity; reflection coefficient; zonula occludens-1 THERE ARE TWO PRINCIPAL MECHANISMS of paracellular transport across the endothelium: bulk fluid movement or convection, a process driven by hydrostatic and oncotic pressure gradients, and diffusional exchange, a nonconvective process driven by concentration gradients (24, 42). These transport processes are characterized by three transport coefficients that define the barrier properties of the endothelium to water and solutes: hydraulic conductivity (L p ), diffusional permeability (P d ; i.e., when convection is zero), and the solvent-drag reflection coefficient (). The effective permeability (P e ; measured when solvent drag contributes to solute flux) is also reported frequently in the literature. It is conventional to regard the endothelial transport coefficients as constants; in other words, any observed change in transendothelial flux is attributed to changes in pressure and/or concentration gradients across the endothelium. However, it has become increasingly evident in recent years that endothelial transport coefficients also depend on the mechanical and hormonal environment of the cell layer.The endothelial cell...

This study was undertaken to begin to elucidate the mechanisms by which cytokines influence intracellular iron homeostasis. Intracellular iron homeostasis is maintained by the coordinated regulation of ferritin and transferrin receptor synthesis. The synthesis of these proteins is coordinated by cytoplasmic iron regulatory proteins (IRP), which bind to iron responsive elements (IRE) on their mRNAs. We evaluated the effects of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) on iron metabolism in human astrocytoma cells (SW1088). Exposure to IL-1beta for 16 h increased binding of the IRPs to the IRE and also increased ferritin synthesis. Using the iron sensitive dye calcein, we determined that the intracellular labile iron pool increased within 4 h of IL-1beta exposure and continued to increase for 8 h, returning to normal by 16 h. We propose that the cytokine induced increase in the labile iron pool stimulates ferritin synthesis resulting in a subsequent decrease in the labile iron pool. The decrease in the labile iron pool is consistent with the increase in IRE/IRP interaction measured at 16 h. These results indicate that cytokines can influence the labile iron pool and the post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism for maintaining iron homeostasis. These results contribute to understanding the response of ferritin to inflammation by suggesting ferritin synthesis may reflect changes in the labile iron pool. The approach used in this study may provide a model system for studying relations between the labile iron pool and proteins responsible for maintaining intracellular homeostasis

Cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration, [Ca2+]i, of single isolated Ca2+-tolerant rat ventricular myocytes in primary culture was determined by digital video imaging of intracellular fura-2 fluorescence. In deenergized myocytes in which contractile elements were uncoupled by 2,3-butanedione monoxime, the maximum and minimum fluorescence intensity ratio values of fura-2 in the cell were similar when compared with those of fura-2 solutions observed in the microscope. Through the use of in vitro calibration, [Ca2+]i in quiescent, rod-shaped myocytes was 90 +/- 6 nM. There was no detectable spatial heterogeneity in [Ca2+]i in resting myocytes. Localized regions of [Ca2+]i elevation were observed in cells undergoing spontaneous rhythmic contractions or when subjected to mild depolarization by KCl. Additions of gramicidin or veratridine resulted in massive increases in [Ca2+]i (greater than 1 microM) and immediate cell hypercontracture. Ruthenium red elicited a modest increase in [Ca2+]i but extracellular ATP or epinephrine had no effect. We conclude the following: 1) digital video imaging of resting cardiac cells did not reveal any subcellular Ca2+ gradients; 2) the fluorescence properties of intracellular fura-2 were similar to that in free solution; and 3) subcellular heterogeneity of [Ca2+]i in isolated myocytes was observed in cells undergoing spontaneous rhythmic contraction.