No abstract

We have evaluated the presence of capacitative Ca2+ entry (CCE) in guinea pig gallbladder smooth muscle (GBSM), including a possible relation with activation of L-type Ca2+ channels. Changes in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration induced by Ca2+ entry were assessed by digital microfluorometry in isolated, fura 2-loaded GBSM cells. Application of thapsigargin, a specific inhibitor of the Ca2+ store pump, induced a transient Ca2+ release followed by sustained entry of extracellular Ca2+. Depletion of the stores with thapsigargin, cyclopiazonic acid, ryanodine and caffeine, high levels of the Ca2+-mobilizing hormone cholecystokinin octapeptide, or simple removal of external Ca2+ resulted in a sustained increase in Ca2+ entry on subsequent reapplication of Ca2+. This entry was attenuated by 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborane, L-type Ca2+ channel blockade, pinacidil, and Gd3+. Accumulation of the voltage-sensitive dye 3,3′-dipentylcarbocyanine and direct intracellular recordings showed that depletion of the stores is sufficient for depolarization of the plasma membrane. Contractility studies in intact gallbladder muscle strips showed that CCE induced contractions. The CCE-evoked contraction was sensitive to 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborane, L-type Ca2+ channel blockers, and Gd3+. We conclude that, in GBSM, release of Ca2+ from internal stores activates a CCE pathway and depolarizes plasma membrane, allowing coactivation of voltage-operated L-type Ca2+ channels. This process may play a role in excitation-contraction coupling in GBSM.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the presence of misfolded proteins, amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregates, and neuroinflammation in the brain. Microglial cells are key players in the context of AD, being capable of releasing cytokines in response to Aβ and degrading aggregated proteins by mechanisms involving the ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy. Here, we present in vivo and in vitro evidence showing that microglial autophagy is affected during AD progression. PDAPPJ20 mice-murine model of AD-exhibited an accumulation of the autophagy receptor p62 and ubiq-uitin+ aggregates in Iba1+ microglial cells close to amyloid deposits in the hippocampus. Moreover, cultured microglial BV-2 cells showed an enhanced autophagic flux during a 2-h exposure to fibrillar Aβ, which was decreased if the exposure was prolonged to 24 h, a condition analogous to the chronic exposure to Aβ in the human pathology. The autophagic impairment was also associated with lysosomal damage, depicted by membrane permeabilization as shown by the presence of the acid hydrolase cathepsin-D in cytoplasm and altered LysoTracker staining. These results are compatible with microglial exhaustion caused by proinflammatory conditions and persistent exposure to aggregated Aβ peptides. In addition, we found LC3positive autophagic vesicles accumulated in phagocytic CD68+ microglia in human AD brain samples, suggesting defective autophagy in microglia of AD brain. Our results indicate that the capacity of microglia to degrade Aβ and potentially other proteins through autophagy may be negatively affected as the disease progresses. Preserving autophagy in microglia thus emerges as a promising approach for treating AD.