Background And Purpose: Intracellular pH (pH(i)) in heart is regulated by sarcolemmal H(+)-equivalent transporters such as Na(+)-H(+) exchange (NHE) and Na(+)-HCO(3) (-) cotransport (NBC). Inhibition of NBC influences pH(i) and can be cardioprotective in animal models of post-ischaemic reperfusion. Apart from a rabbit polyclonal NBC-antibody, a selective NBC inhibitor compound has not been studied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlmost all aspects of cardiac function are sensitive to modest changes of temperature. We have examined the thermal sensitivity of intracellular pH regulation in the heart. To do this we determined the temperature sensitivity of pHi, intracellular buffering capacity, and the activity of sarcolemmal acid-extrusion proteins, Na+-H+ exchange (NHE) and Na+-HCO3- co-transport (NBC) in guinea-pig isolated ventricular myocytes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSubstrate depletion and increased intracellular acidity are believed to underlie clinically important manifestations of myocardial ischaemia. Recent advances in measuring ion concentrations and metabolite changes have provided a wealth of detail on the processes involved. Coupled with the rapid increase in computing power, this has allowed the development of a mathematical model of cardiac metabolism in normal and ischaemic conditions.
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November 1997
Arrhythmias are caused by the interdependent processes of change in energy metabolism and alterations in sarcolemmal ion gradients that occur during ischemia. Depletion of energy metabolites and increased proton concentrations in ischemic heart may underlie the observed phenomena of reduced contractile force and also of malignant ventricular arrhythmias that can lead to tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. Recent advances in measuring changes in ion concentrations and metabolites during cardiac ischemia have provided a wealth of detail on the processes involved.
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