Alteration of Voltage-Dependent Calcium Channels in Canine Brain during Global Ischemia and Reperfusion

Elevated intracellular calcium ( i Ca 2+ ) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of ischemic brain damage. The mechanisms by which i Ca 2+ increases are uncertain. Recent evidence implicates the voltage-dependent calcium channel (VDCC) as a likely site for the alteration in Ca 2+ homeostasis during ischemia. The purpose of this study was to determine whether VDCCs are altered by global ischemia and reperfusion in a canine cardiac arrest, resuscitation model. We employed the radioligand, [ 3 H]PN200-110, to quantitate the equilibrium binding characteristics of the VDCCs in the cerebral cortex. Twenty-five adult beagles were separated into four experimental groups: (a) nonischemic controls, (b) those undergoing 10-min ventricular fibrillation and apnea, (c) those undergoing 10-min ventricular fibrillation and apnea followed by spontaneous circulation and controlled respiration for 2 and (d) 24 h. Brain cortex samples were taken prior to killing of the animal, frozen immediately in liquid nitrogen, and crude synaptosomal membranes isolated by differential centrifugation/filtration. After 10 min of ischemia the maximal binding (B max ) of [ 3 H]PN200-110 increased to >250% of control values (control B max 11.16 ± 0.98; ischemic 28.35 ± 2.78 fmol/mg protein; p < 0.05). B max returned to near control values after 2 h of reperfusion but remained significantly greater than the control at 24 h. Although the affinity constant (K d ) (control = 0.12 ± 0.03 n M) appeared to increase with ischemia and normalize with reperfusion, the changes were not statistically significant. We conclude that the binding of [ 3 H]PN200-110 to L-type VDCCs is increased after 10 min of global ischemia/anoxia produced by ventricular fibrillation and apnea in the dog. This change is only partially reversible after 24 h of reperfusion. This study supports the hypothesis that ischemia increases the number of VDCCs in the cell membrane which may allow increased entry of Ca 2+ into the cell during ischemia and early reperfusion.