Non-beating HL-1 cells for confocal microscopy: application to mitochondrial functions during cardiac preconditioning.

HL-1, the first cell line with a cardiac phenotype for biological experiments, displays spontaneous electrophysiological and mechanical regular activity, and cyclic calcium movements. We isolated a derived line, devoid of transient movements, for confocal microscopy experiments. These cells do express cardiac proteins: connexin 43, the cardiac isoform of dihydropyridine receptors, desmin, and developmental myosin but have no sarcomeric arrangement.

ACTH-induced Cl(-) current in bovine adrenocortical cells: correlation with cortisol secretion.

ACTH has been shown to depolarize bovine adrenal zona fasciculata cells by inhibiting a K(+) current. The effects of this hormone on such cells have been reexamined using perforated and standard patch recording methods. In current clamp experiments, ACTH (10 nM) induced a membrane depolarization to -36 +/- 1 mV (n = 56), which was mimicked by forskolin (10 microM) or by 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-cAMP (8 mM).