Abstract
Atrial myocytes that lack t-tubules appear to have two functionally separate sarcoplasmic Ca2+ stores: a peripheral store associated with plasmalemmal L-type calcium channels and a central store with no apparent proximity to L-type calcium channels. Here we describe a set of calcium sparks and waves that are triggered by puffing of pressurized (200–400mmH2O) bathing solutions onto resting isolated rat atrial myocytes. Puffing of pressurized (200mmH2O) solutions, identical to those bathing the myocytes from distances of ∼150μm onto the surface of a single myocyte triggered or enhanced spontaneously occurring peripheral sparks by five- to six-fold and central Ca2+ sparks by two- to three-fold, without altering the unitary spark properties. Exposure to higher pressure flows (400mmH2O) often triggered longitudinally spreading Ca2+ waves. These results suggest that pressurized flows may directly modulate Ca2+ signaling of atrial myocytes by activating the intracellular Ca2+ release sites.
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