Capacitative Ca2+ entry and the regulation of smooth muscle tone

In many non-excitable cells, activation of phospholipase C-linked receptors results in a biphasic increase in the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration; an initial transient increase, owing to the release of Ca2+ from the endoplasmic/sarcoplasmic reticulum (ER/SR), is followed by a much smaller but sustained...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trends in pharmacological sciences (Regular ed.) 1998-07, Vol.19 (7), p.266-269
Main Authors: Gibson, A, McFadzean, I, Wallace, P, Wayman, C P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Calcium - metabolism
Calcium Channel Blockers - pharmacology
Calcium-Transporting ATPases - antagonists & inhibitors
Cell Membrane - metabolism
Cytosol - metabolism
Endoplasmic Reticulum - metabolism
Muscle Contraction - drug effects
Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - drug effects
Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - metabolism
Patch-Clamp Techniques
Sarcoplasmic Reticulum - metabolism
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Summary:In many non-excitable cells, activation of phospholipase C-linked receptors results in a biphasic increase in the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration; an initial transient increase, owing to the release of Ca2+ from the endoplasmic/sarcoplasmic reticulum (ER/SR), is followed by a much smaller but sustained elevation, which often involves capacitative Ca2+ entry, where depletion of Ca2+ within the ER signals the opening of store-operated Ca2+ channels in the plasma membrane. However, in excitable cells such as smooth muscle, the role of capacitative Ca2+ entry is less clear and the main Ca2+ entry mechanisms responsible for sustained cellular activation have been considered to be either voltage-operated or receptor-operated Ca2+ channels. Although store-regulated Ca2+ entry was known to occur following agonist activation of smooth muscle, it was believed to be important only for the re-filling of the depleted SR and not as a source of activator Ca2+ for the contractile mechanisms. Here, Alan Gibson, Ian McFadzean, Pat Wallace and Christopher Wayman review recent evidence that capacitative Ca2+ entry might indeed be important for the regulation of smooth muscle tone, and that it might provide an important for pharmacological intervention.
ISSN:0165-6147