Augmentation of sarcolemmal Ca by anionic amphiphile: contractile response of three ventricular tissues

The anionic amphiphile dodecyl sulfate was used at the concentration of 100 microM, below the concentration at which membrane permeability is compromised. In rat myocardial tissue culture dodecyl sulfate induced a large increase in Ca uptake in the intact cells, of which 84% was distributed in a rapidly exchangeable (t1/2 less than 18 s) and 16% in a slowly exchangeable (t1/2 = 17 min) compartment. Dodecyl sulfate induced a large increase in Ca bound to isolated sarcolemmal membrane of these cells. This increase in membrane binding and the distribution in whole cells is consistent with insertion of dodecyl sulfate in the sarcolemma (SL) with subsequent Ca binding to its anionic head group. With perfusate extracellular calcium concentration ([Ca]o) equal to 1 mM, dodecyl sulfate produced greater than 60% increase in active force in ventricular tissue from adult rabbit and neonatal rat but virtually no increase in adult rat ventricle. Preperfusion with 0.1 mM [Ca]o or 10(-6) M ryanodine markedly increased the relative response of adult rat ventricle to dodecyl sulfate. After a quiescent period in rabbit ventricle, dodecyl sulfate caused a progressive increase of force of each beat compared with control; i.e., the treppe response was increased at each successive beat. This did not occur in adult rat ventricle. These results further clarify the different quantitative role of SL-bound versus sarcotubular Ca in the hearts of different species.