Effects of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ load on the gain function of Ca2+ release by Ca2+ current in cardiac cells.

We studied the effects of variable sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ loading on changes in the gain index of Ca2+ release from the SR, measured as the ratio of the amount of Ca2+ released to the magnitude of the Ca2+ current (ICa) integrated for the initial 20 ms of the depolarization, in whole cell voltage-clamped rat ventricular myocytes dialyzed with the Ca2+ indicator indo 1 salt at 23 degrees C. Changes in ICa were measured directly, and changes in the SR Ca2+ release were indexed by changes in the amplitudes and rates of rise of cytosolic Ca2+ (Ca2+i) transients. The SR Ca2+ load was graded by the duration of conditioning voltage-clamp steps and verified by caffeine-dependent Ca2+i transients. A train of abbreviated (from 100 to 20 ms) voltage-clamp depolarizations, which triggers SR Ca2+ release but fails to replenish the SR with Ca2+, diminished the SR Ca2+ load by 56 +/- 5%, did not alter peak ICa but reduced the amplitudes of the ICa-dependent Ca2+i transients by 52 +/- 3%, and decreased the gain index by 60 +/- 3% (SE; n = 5 or 6). Changes in the amplitudes of Ca2+i transients elicited by ICa and changes in the gain index were linearly correlated (r2 = 0.83 and 0.79, respectively; P < 0.001 for each) with changes in amplitudes of Ca2+i transients elicited by caffeine pulses applied in lieu of the respective voltage-clamp pulses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)