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Electrophysiology and Excitation‐Contraction Coupling

Börje Johansson, Andrew P. Somlyo

10.1002/cphy.cp020212

Source: Supplement 7: Handbook of Physiology, The Cardiovascular System, Vascular Smooth Muscle

Originally published: 1980

Published online: January 2011

Full Article on Wiley Online Library



Abstract

The sections in this article are:

1 Electrophysiology
1.1 Methods
1.2 Resting Membrane Potential
1.3 Action Potentials
1.4 Categories of Vascular Smooth Muscles
1.5 Spontaneous Activity and Propagation
1.6 Vasomotor Control Through Changes in Resting Potential and Spike Discharge
2 Activation of Contraction
2.1 Electromechanical Coupling
2.2 Pharmacomechanical Coupling
3 Activator Calcium: Sources and Sinks
3.1 Transmembrane Calcium Movements
3.2 Intracellular Calcium Sites: Sarcoplasmic Reticulum and Mitochondria
Figure 1. Figure 1.

Examples of types of action potentials recorded from different vessels, some panels also including associated contractile responses. A: turtle aorta. B: turtle vena cava. C: rat small mesenteric artery. D: small artery in frog's tongue. E: guinea pig portal vein. F: rabbit main pulmonary artery. G: longitudinal muscle of chicken mesenteric artery. H: vein in bat wing. I: sheep carotid artery in Ca‐ and Mg‐free solution. Panels A–F show intracellular recordings; panels G–I show recordings by sucrose gap.

A and B from Roddie 138, with permission of S. Karger AG, Basel; C from Steedman 167; D from Funaki 62; E from von Loh 119, with permission of S. Karger AG, Basel; F from Somlyo et al. 160; G from Bolton 23; H from Huggel et al. 88; I from Keatinge 108
Figure 2. Figure 2.

Effects of supramaximal concentrations of norepinephrine and serotonin on frequency distribution of membrane potentials in rabbit mesenteric vein. Note comparatively lesser mean depolarizing action of serotonin, due to partial depolarization of fibers rather than to a bimodal distribution of maximally depolarized and normally polarized cells.

From Somlyo et al. 160
Figure 3. Figure 3.

Effects of dynamic and static passive stretch and shortening on mechanical and extracellularly recorded electrical activity in isolated rat portal vein. Left part of bottom section shows recordings taken at high paper speed of a single contraction, burst of spikes, and spike‐counter output.

From Johansson and Mellander 98, by permission of the American Heart Association, Inc
Figure 4. Figure 4.

Effect of hypoxia on spontaneous electrical and mechanical activity in rat portal vein. Sucrose‐gap recording. A: spontaneous activity in standard medium. B: after 5 min in hypoxic solution. C: after 15 min recovery. Lower part of figure shows recordings at higher paper speed. D: recordings obtained during control period. E: recordings obtained during hypoxia.

From Hellstrand et al. 78
Figure 5. Figure 5.

Contractile responses of two types of vascular smooth muscle in normal and in Ca‐free solutions. Contractions in right column illustrate responses in normal (Ca‐containing) solution to supramaximal concentrations of acetylcholine (5 μg/ml) and of norepinephrine (10 μg/ml). Left column shows effect of same drugs on the same preparations placed in Ca‐free Krebs (two upper recordings) or Ca‐free depolarizing (lower left record) solution. Amplifier gain was increased in upper left record (see vertical calibration). Note that contractile response of the portal‐anterior mesenteric vein (mesenteric vein) is almost completely abolished in Ca‐free solution, whereas main pulmonary artery smooth muscle still develops sizeable contractions in this medium. Unequal maximal contractions produced by the two drugs still persist in depolarized main pulmonary artery smooth muscle in Ca‐free, high‐K medium (left bottom panel).

From Devine et al. 50
Figure 6. Figure 6.

High‐magnification view of surface membrane coupling in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Electron‐opaque material (arrows) is present between SR membrane and plasma membrane. Rabbit portal‐anterior mesenteric vein. × 249,500. For other illustrations of SR‐surface membrane couplings see Figures 21 and 22 in the chapter by A. V. Somlyo in this Handbook.

From Somlyo and Somlyo 149
Figure 7. Figure 7.

Oblique section of smooth muscle cell in guinea pig portal‐anterior mesenteric vein incubated in Krebs solution containing 10 mM Sr2+ for 1 h before fixation. Electron‐opaque deposits of Sr (arrows) are present in lumen of sarcoplasmic reticulum. M, mitochondrion. Osmium‐fixed, unstained preparation. × 32,500.

From Somlyo and Somlyo 159. Copyright 1971 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science
Figure 8. Figure 8.

X‐ray spectrum of region of sarcoplasmic reticulum in rabbit portal‐anterior mesenteric vein smooth muscle. Note presence of prominent Ca Kα peak.

From Somlyo et al. 153
Figure 9. Figure 9.

Frozen thin section of portal‐anterior mesenteric vein. Results of electron probe analysis (mmol/kg dry wt) are shown over regions analyzed in five fibers. Values other than mito represent cytoplasmic measurement. Carbon foil support film can be seen on right. Note that mitochondrial Ca granules (with a mitochondrial Ca of approximately 800 mmol/kg dry wt) are present only in the fiber that has a high‐Na and low‐K concentration. × 23,000.

From Somlyo et al. 153


Figure 1.

Examples of types of action potentials recorded from different vessels, some panels also including associated contractile responses. A: turtle aorta. B: turtle vena cava. C: rat small mesenteric artery. D: small artery in frog's tongue. E: guinea pig portal vein. F: rabbit main pulmonary artery. G: longitudinal muscle of chicken mesenteric artery. H: vein in bat wing. I: sheep carotid artery in Ca‐ and Mg‐free solution. Panels A–F show intracellular recordings; panels G–I show recordings by sucrose gap.

A and B from Roddie 138, with permission of S. Karger AG, Basel; C from Steedman 167; D from Funaki 62; E from von Loh 119, with permission of S. Karger AG, Basel; F from Somlyo et al. 160; G from Bolton 23; H from Huggel et al. 88; I from Keatinge 108


Figure 2.

Effects of supramaximal concentrations of norepinephrine and serotonin on frequency distribution of membrane potentials in rabbit mesenteric vein. Note comparatively lesser mean depolarizing action of serotonin, due to partial depolarization of fibers rather than to a bimodal distribution of maximally depolarized and normally polarized cells.

From Somlyo et al. 160


Figure 3.

Effects of dynamic and static passive stretch and shortening on mechanical and extracellularly recorded electrical activity in isolated rat portal vein. Left part of bottom section shows recordings taken at high paper speed of a single contraction, burst of spikes, and spike‐counter output.

From Johansson and Mellander 98, by permission of the American Heart Association, Inc


Figure 4.

Effect of hypoxia on spontaneous electrical and mechanical activity in rat portal vein. Sucrose‐gap recording. A: spontaneous activity in standard medium. B: after 5 min in hypoxic solution. C: after 15 min recovery. Lower part of figure shows recordings at higher paper speed. D: recordings obtained during control period. E: recordings obtained during hypoxia.

From Hellstrand et al. 78


Figure 5.

Contractile responses of two types of vascular smooth muscle in normal and in Ca‐free solutions. Contractions in right column illustrate responses in normal (Ca‐containing) solution to supramaximal concentrations of acetylcholine (5 μg/ml) and of norepinephrine (10 μg/ml). Left column shows effect of same drugs on the same preparations placed in Ca‐free Krebs (two upper recordings) or Ca‐free depolarizing (lower left record) solution. Amplifier gain was increased in upper left record (see vertical calibration). Note that contractile response of the portal‐anterior mesenteric vein (mesenteric vein) is almost completely abolished in Ca‐free solution, whereas main pulmonary artery smooth muscle still develops sizeable contractions in this medium. Unequal maximal contractions produced by the two drugs still persist in depolarized main pulmonary artery smooth muscle in Ca‐free, high‐K medium (left bottom panel).

From Devine et al. 50


Figure 6.

High‐magnification view of surface membrane coupling in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Electron‐opaque material (arrows) is present between SR membrane and plasma membrane. Rabbit portal‐anterior mesenteric vein. × 249,500. For other illustrations of SR‐surface membrane couplings see Figures 21 and 22 in the chapter by A. V. Somlyo in this Handbook.

From Somlyo and Somlyo 149


Figure 7.

Oblique section of smooth muscle cell in guinea pig portal‐anterior mesenteric vein incubated in Krebs solution containing 10 mM Sr2+ for 1 h before fixation. Electron‐opaque deposits of Sr (arrows) are present in lumen of sarcoplasmic reticulum. M, mitochondrion. Osmium‐fixed, unstained preparation. × 32,500.

From Somlyo and Somlyo 159. Copyright 1971 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science


Figure 8.

X‐ray spectrum of region of sarcoplasmic reticulum in rabbit portal‐anterior mesenteric vein smooth muscle. Note presence of prominent Ca Kα peak.

From Somlyo et al. 153


Figure 9.

Frozen thin section of portal‐anterior mesenteric vein. Results of electron probe analysis (mmol/kg dry wt) are shown over regions analyzed in five fibers. Values other than mito represent cytoplasmic measurement. Carbon foil support film can be seen on right. Note that mitochondrial Ca granules (with a mitochondrial Ca of approximately 800 mmol/kg dry wt) are present only in the fiber that has a high‐Na and low‐K concentration. × 23,000.

From Somlyo et al. 153
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Article Title: Electrophysiology and Excitation‐Contraction Coupling
 

How to Cite

Börje Johansson, Andrew P. Somlyo. Electrophysiology and Excitation‐Contraction Coupling. Compr Physiol 2011, Supplement 7: Handbook of Physiology, The Cardiovascular System, Vascular Smooth Muscle: 301-323. First published in print 1980. doi: 10.1002/cphy.cp020212