The relationship between the ionized Ca concentration and mitochondrial functions

Abstract

The aim of the study was to show the relationships between ionized Ca concentration ([Ca2+]m) in the mitochondria matrix and functional activity of this organelle. [Ca2+]m was determined using the fluorescent probe Fluo-4, AM. Total level of Ca2+ accumulation in mitochondria was monitored using 45Ca2+ as radioactive tracer. It was shown that incubation of myometrium mitochondria with 3 mM Mg2+ resulted in the low level of [Ca2+]m. Subsequent addition of 100 µM Ca2+ resulted in 8 times increase of [Ca2+]m but in low level of total calcium accumulation. Normalized fluorescence of Ca2+-sensitive probe Fluo-4 in response to the Ca2+ addition was higher than 2.5. At the same time, [Ca2+]m was considerably higher in the medium containing­ 3 mМ АТР and 3 mМ Mg2+. Subsequent addition of 100 µM Ca2+ to the incubation medium resulted in only 2.4 times increase of [Ca2+]m but considerably higher level of total calcium accumulation was observed. Normali­zed fluorescence of Fluo-4 in response to the Ca2+ addition was lower than 1.3. In liver mitochondria higher rate of oxygen consumption was detected in the presence of an oxidative substrate succinate than of pyruvate or α-ketoglutarate. At the presence of an oxidative substrate succinate normalized fluorescence of Fluo-4 in liver mitochondria in response to the Ca2+ addition was lower than 1.3. It was concluded that low level of [Ca2+]m was correlated with low functional activity of this organelle and, vise versa, high level of [Ca2+]m was correlated with high functional activity. It was suggested that normalized fluorescence changes in response to the Са2+ addition could be used as a test of the mitochondrial functional activity: lower normalized fluorescence values − higher functional activity.

Keywords

• ionized Са concentration
• liver
• mitochondria
• myometrium
• total Са(2+) accumulation