The effect of hypoxia on thallium kinetics in cultured chick myocardial cells

To assess the effect of hypoxia on cellular thallium-201 (201Tl) uptake and washout independent of coronary flow, we studied thallium kinetics during normoxia and hypoxia in cultured chick ventricular cells. Monolayers of contracting ventricular cells grown on coverslips were placed in a chamber and perfused to asymptote with media containing 201Tl. Perfusates were equilibrated with 5% CO2-95% air or 5% CO2-95% nitrogen for normoxia and hypoxia, respectively. Washout thallium kinetics were then observed during perfusion with unlabeled media. Twenty paired experiments were performed, randomly alternating the sequence of normoxia and hypoxia. Pharmacokinetics for thallium were determined by computer using standard formulae. Thallium uptake and washout were best described by assuming that intracellular thallium was contained within a single compartment. Cellular thallium uptake, as well as transfer rate constants for thallium uptake and for thallium washout during normoxia and hypoxia, were compared using paired t-tests. During normoxia and hypoxia, respectively, thallium uptake was 22 +/- 7% and 19 +/- 7% of asymptote (p less than 0.01); the compartmental rate constant for uptake by the cell was 0.16 +/- 0.07 min-1 and 0.15 +/- 0.06 min-1 (N.S.); and the transfer rate constant for washout from the cell was 0.26 +/- 0.06 min-1 and 0.23 +/- 0.05 min-1 (p less than 0.01). We conclude that there was a small (14%) decrease in thallium uptake during hypoxia. The rate of thallium uptake and washout was slightly less during hypoxia, although only the rate of washout was significantly less. These data show that cellular accumulation of thallium and the rate of washout of thallium were minimally decreased by hypoxia independent of blood flow.