Plasma membrane phosphate transport and extracellular phosphate concentration in the regulation of cellular respiration in isolated perfused rat heart.

The role of extracellular Pi and transmembrane fluxes across the sarcolemma in the regulation of cellular respiration was studied in isolated Langendorff-perfused rat hearts. Extracellular phosphate did not significantly affect the oxygen consumption or cellular phosphorylation potential of the myocardium. K+-induced arrest was used to change the mechanical work load of the heart. Arresting the heart caused a rapid decrease in the unidirectional efflux of phosphate determined by in vitro prelabelling of the intracellular phosphate compounds with 32P and determining the specific radioactivity of the gamma-P of ATP, and the label appearance into the perfusion medium. At normal or elevated perfusate phosphate concentration there was a fairly slow net uptake of phosphate. The decrease in phosphate fluxes upon the K+-induced arrest was probably not due to a decrease in the transmembrane Na+ or K+ gradients because a further increase in the perfusate K+ concentration caused an increase in the K+ efflux to the levels observed in contracting hearts. The use of higher than normal concentrations of phosphate necessitated a lowering of the extracellular Ca2+ concentration, which caused a diminution of the oxygen consumption, accompanied by mitochondrial flavoprotein in the heart. This finding suggested that the extracellular Ca2+ concentration may be involved in the substrate level regulation of mitochondrial metabolism.