Dynamic changes of [Ca(2+)] (i) in cerebellar granule cells exposed to pulsed electric fields

Intracellular free Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) in embryonic chick cerebellar granule cells loaded with fluo-3/AM and exposed to a single pulsed electric field was investigated using a confocal laser scanning microscope and fluorescent microscope equipped with CCD video imaging system. The results showed that [Ca(2+)](i) increased immediately and rose to the peak rapidly as the cells exposed to a single pulsed electric field. The amplitude and rate of the increases of [Ca(2+)](i) depend on the intensity of external electric field. In the presence of Ca(2+) chelant EGTA or Ca(2+) channels blocker La(3+) in the pulsation solutions, the increase of [Ca(2+)](i) was still observable. It was also observed that [Ca(2+)](i) of different intracellular areas in the cell elevated simultaneously while the peak of the increase of [Ca(2+)](i) in the poles of the cell preceded to the peak in its somata and recovered to a plateau within a short time.