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Related Experiment Videos

Proton permeation through the myocardial gap junction.

Massimiliano Zaniboni1, Alessandra Rossini, Pawel Swietach

  • 1Burdon Sanderson Cardiac Science Centre, University Laboratory of Physiology, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK.

Circulation Research
|September 6, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Protons can permeate myocardial gap junctions, influencing heart function. This proton flux aids in managing acid levels within the heart, offering a local pH control mechanism.

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Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Myocardial gap junctions regulate solute permeability, impacting heart contractility and rhythm.
  • The specific permeation of protons (H+) through these junctions remains poorly understood.
  • Understanding proton transport is crucial for comprehending cardiac electrophysiology and acid-base homeostasis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the direct permeation of protons through myocardial gap junctions.
  • To elucidate the mechanism and physiological significance of proton flux across cardiac gap junctions.
  • To determine if gap junctions contribute to the dissipation of acid loads in the myocardium.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized pipette-loading of acid into isolated guinea pig ventricular myocyte pairs.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Employed confocal imaging with SNARF fluorescence to monitor intracellular pH (pH(i)).
  • Assessed the effect of glycyrrhetinic acid on proton permeation and measured intercellular electrical resistance.

    • Main Results:

    • Observed direct permeation of protons through the junctional region between myocytes.
    • Demonstrated that glycyrrhetinic acid inhibits proton permeation, implicating gap junctions.
    • Found that junctional permeation, not cytoplasmic diffusion, limits the spread of acid between cells.
    • Mathematical modeling suggested physiological H+ transmission via intrinsic "proton-porter" molecules within gap junctions.

    Conclusions:

    • Protons can permeate myocardial gap junctions, contributing to intercellular communication.
    • Gap junctional proton flux plays a role in dissipating regional acid loads within the myocardium.
    • This process represents a novel mechanism for local control of intracellular pH (pH(i)) in cardiac tissue.