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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Optical Mapping of Intra-Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+ and Transmembrane Potential in the Langendorff-perfused Rabbit Heart
Published on: September 10, 2015
Caffeine stimulates the reverse mode of Na/Ca2+ exchanger in ferret ventricular muscle
C Léoty1, C Huchet-Cadiou, S Talon
1Laboratoire de Physiologie Générale, Faculté des Sciences et des Techniques, Nantes, France.
Abstract:
This study investigated the effect of caffeine on the sarcolemmal mechanisms involved in intracellular calcium control. Ferret cardiac preparations were treated with ryanodine and thapsigargin in order to eliminate the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) function. This treatment abolished caffeine contracture irreversibly in normal solution. The perfusion with K-free medium that blocked the Na+--K+ pump resulted in a recovery of slow relaxing caffeine contractures similar to Na-free contractures. The amplitude of caffeine contractures was dependent on the bathing [caffeine]o and [Ca2+]o. Divalent cations Ni2+ and Cd2+, which have an inhibitory effect on the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, produced dose-dependent inhibition of caffeine responses with apparent Ki of 780 +/- 19 and 132 +/- 5 microM, respectively. Caffeine also caused dose-dependent inhibition of Na-free contractures (Ki=4.62 +/- 1.5 mM), and the reduction or removal of [Na+]o exerted an inhibitory effect on caffeine contractures (Ki=73.5 +/- 17.12 mM). These experiments indicate that the increase in resting tension following exposure to caffeine was mediated by Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, which represents an additional element of complexity in caffeine action on cardiac muscle.
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