Calcium in renal cells. Modulation of calcium-dependent activation of phospholipase A2

Calcium has been implicated as a regulatory factor in many physiological and pathophysiological processes in the renal cell. Under physiological conditions, the cytosolic free calcium concentration is maintained at approximately 100 nM. Most of the releasable cell Ca2+ resides in the nonmitochondrial compartments. In addition to the plasma membrane Ca2+ transport processes, there is a high-affinity, low-capacity buffering capability of nonmitochondrial organelles and a lower-affinity high-capacity mitochondrial Ca2+ buffering capability. A critical enzymatic effector of Ca2+ action in the cell is phospholipase A2. By using digitonin-permeabilized renal mesangial cells, the [Ca2+] dependency of phospholipase A2 was characterized. The [Ca2+] sensitivity was insufficient to explain the phospholipase A2 activation observed with vasopressin. In both intact cells, as well as permeabilized cells, it was found that protein kinase C activation markedly enhanced the Ca2+ calmodulin-dependent activation of phospholipase A2. In response to platelet-derived growth factor, it was found that arachidonic acid release preceded phospholipase C activation. This suggests that other effectors besides Ca2+ and protein kinase C may also be important for phospholipase A2 activation. In an experimental model designed to mimic postischemic reperfusion damage to renal mitochondria, it was demonstrated that reactive oxygen species act synergistically with Ca2+ to activate mitochondrial phospholipase A2, which mediates damage to site I of the electron transport chain, the F1F0 ATPase, and the adenine nucleotide translocase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)