Extracellular ATP, intracellular calcium and canalicular contraction in rat hepatocyte doublets

Abstract

Bile-canaliculus contraction in rat hepatocyte doublets is postulated to involve activation of an actinmyosin system. We examined this hypothesis by determining the relationship between canalicular contraction and cystolic free Ca 2+ ([Ca 2+] i) concentration after extracellular addition of ATP or microdialysis of myosin light chain kinase or its Ca 2+-independent fragment, which retains catalytic activity. After incubation of doublets with 200 μmol/L ATP in the absence of extracellular Ca 2+, [Ca 2+] i peaked at 40 sec and 71% of canaliculi contracted within 4 min. Decreasing effects were observed with equimolar ADP, AMP and nonhydrolyzable ATP, but no effect was observed with adenosine. The effect of extracellular ATP on [Ca 2+] i and canalicular contraction was dose dependent. Addition of extracellular Ca 2+ and ATP resulted in a plateau level of [Ca 2+] i. Cytochalasin D, which depolymerizes actin filaments, inhibited ATP-induced canalicular contraction, but not the increase in [Ca 2+] i. Microdialysis of myosin light chain kinase and its Ca 2+-independent fragment (but not the heat-denatured fragment, albumin, trypsin plus soybean inhibitor or buffer) into one hepatocyte of a doublet resulted in canalicular contraction in 86% of doublets. Injection of myosin light chain kinase or its Ca 2+-independent fragment did not increase [Ca 2+] i within 5 min. These results indicate that (a) the basolateral plasma membrane of hepatocytes has a P 2Y-class purinoceptor, (b) increased [Ca 2+] i after incubation with ATP is initially due to mobilization from internal sites and (c) canalicular contraction is directly related to [Ca 2+] i and activation of an actin-myosin system. The physiological role of extracellular ATP in canalicular contraction is uncertain.