Direct measurement of the increase in intracellular free calcium ion concentration in response to the action of complement.

1. The effect of rabbit anti-(pigeon erythrocyte) antibodies plus human complement on the concentration of intracellular free Ca2+ in sealed pigeon erythrocyte 'ghosts' was investigated with the photoprotein obelin. 2. The addition of human serum, as a source of complement, to 'ghosts' coated with antibody caused a rapid increase in intracellular free Ca2+ after a lag of 20-40 s, as detected by an increase in obelin luminescence. 3. The increase in obelin luminescence could not be explained by release of obelin into the medium. It was also Ca2+-dependent in that extracellular EGTA abolished the effect and intracellular EGTA inhibited it and required the complete terminal complex (C56789). No effect was seen with C5678. 4. The concentration of intracellular free Ca2+ before addition of complement was approx. 0.3 microM. This increased to a maximum of 5-30 microM after complement addition and then remained constant for at least 1-2 min. 5. Antibody plus complement induced a rapid increase in 42K+ efflux and an inhibition of cyclic AMP formation. 6. When partially purified complement components (C5b-9) were used in 'reactive lysis' it was possible to inhibit the release of macromolecules from pigeon erythrocyte 'ghosts' by extracellular EGTA. 7. It was concluded that the increase in intracellular free Ca2+ concentration caused by anti-cell antibody plus complement occurred before cell lysis and may be involved in the mechanism of complement-induced cell injury.