The influence of pH on cellular calcium influx during ischemia

The objective of this study was to explore how alterations in tissue pH during ischemia influence cell calcium uptake, as this is reflected in the extracellular calcium concentration (Ca2+e). Variations in pH were achieved by making animals hypo-, normo- or hyperglycemic prior to cardiac arrest ischemia or by increasing preischemic PCO2 in normoglycemic animals. For comparison, the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist dizocilpine maleate (MK-801) was given prior to induction of ischemia. In some experiments the effect of acidosis on K+ efflux and Na+ influx were studied as well. In hypoglycemic subjects, the reduction of Ca2+e during ischemia was very rapid, 90% of the reduction occurring within 4.7 s. Normoglycemic animals showed a slower rate of reduction of Ca2+e. Hyperglycemic animals displayed an even slower rate of reduction and a biphasic response in which the initial, faster influx of Ca2+ was followed by a conspicuously slow one. This second phase led to a very gradual decrease in Ca2+e, a stable level being reached first after 6-7 min. This marked delay in calcium influx during ischemia was very similar in hypercapnic animals, who showed an extracellular pH during ischemia as low as hyperglycemic subjects. The effect of acidosis was duplicated by MK-801, suggesting that low pH reduces calcium influx by blocking NMDA-gated ion channels.