Abstract
The capillary endothelium of the brain is involved essentially in the preservation of the blood-brain barrier and in the regulation of brain microcirculation. As a biological membrane lining the inner wall of blood vessels, the endothelium is exposed to many environmental alterations of the blood composition. In this context, it is known that changes in the concentration of extracellular magnesium ions ([Mg2+]o) play important roles in the control of vascular reactivity, by modulating the myogenic tone and the contractile response of vascular smooth muscle cells to various physiological and pharmacological stimuli (Altura & Altura, 1981). Recent studies on endothelial cells demonstrate that changes in [Mg2+]o can modify the state of the cytosolic free calcium (Zhang et al, 1993). The aim of the present study was, therefore, to investigate whether in fact this modulatory effect of Mg2+ could be ascribed to some effect on the excitability of the cell membrane of endothelial cells. For this purpose, transmembrane currents of rat brain capillary endothelial cells (BCECs) were investigated in whole-cell experiments with the patch-clamp technique (Hamill et al, 1981).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Altura BM & Altura BT (1981) Magnesium ions and contraction of vascular smooth muscle: relationship to some vascular diseases. Fed Proc 40: 2672–2679
Altura BM & Altura BT (1995) Magnesium and cardiovascular biology — an important link between cardiovascular risk factors and atherogenesis. Cell Mol Biol Res 41: 347–359
Delpiano MA (1996) Metabolic inhibitors affect the conductance of low voltage-activated calcium channels in brain capillary endothelial cells. Adv Exp Med Biol 410:109–113
Hamill OP, Marty A, Neher E, Sakmann E & Sigworth FJ (1981) Improved patch-clamp technique for high-resolution current recordings from cells and cell-free membrane patches. Pflügers Arch 391: 85–100
Howard AB, Alexander RW & Taylor WR (1995) Effects of magnesium on nitric oxide synthase activity in endothelial cells. Am J Physiol 269: C612–C618
Ku DD & Ann HS (1991) Differential effects of magnesium on basal and agonist-induced EDRF relaxation in canine coronary arteries. J Cardiovasc Physiol 17: 999–1006
Turlapaty PDMV & Altura BM (1978) Extracellular magnesium ions control calcium exchange and content of vascular smooth muscle. Eur J Pharmacol 52: 421–423
Zhang A, Cheng TP, Altura BT & Altura BM (1993) Mg2+ and caffeine-induced intracellular Ca2+ release in human vascular endothelial cells. Br J Pharmacol 109: 291–292
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1996 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Delpiano, M.A., Altura, B.M. (1996). Transmembrane Currents in Capillary Endothelial Cells are Modulated by External Mg2+ Ions. In: Zapata, P., Eyzaguirre, C., Torrance, R.W. (eds) Frontiers in Arterial Chemoreception. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 410. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5891-0_17
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5891-0_17
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7702-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-5891-0
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive