Hormonal stimulation, mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation, and the control of the mitochondrial permeability transition in intact hepatocytes

Ca2+ functions as an intracellular signal to transfer hormonal messages to different cellular compartments, including mitochondria, where it activates intramitochondrial Ca2+-dependent enzymes. However, excessive mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake can promote the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), a process known to be associated with cell injury. The factors controlling mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and release in intact cells are poorly understood. Ln this paper, we investigate mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation in intact hepatocytes in response to the elevation of cytosolic Ca2+ levels ([Ca2+](c)) induced either by a hormonal stimulus (vasopressin), or by thapsigargin, an inhibitor of the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump. After stimulation, cells were rapidly permeabilized for the determination of the mitochondrial Ca2+ content (Ca-m(2+)) and to analyze the susceptibility of the mitochondria to undergo the MPT. Despite very similar levels of [Ca2+](c) elevation, vasopressin and thapsigargin had markedly different effects on mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation. Vasopressin caused a rapid (< 90 sec), but modest (< 2 fold) increase in Ca-m(2+) that was not further increased during prolonged incubations, despite a sustained [Ca2+](c) elevation. By contrast, thapsigargin induced a net Ca2+ accumulation in mitochondria that continued for up to 30 min and reached Ca-m(2+) levels 10-20 fold over basal. Accumulation of mitochondrial Ca2+ was accompanied by a markedly increased susceptibility to undergo the MPT. Both mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation and MPT activation were modulated by treatment of the cells with inhibitors of protein kineses and phosphatases. The results indicate that net mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake in response to hormonal stimulation is regulated by processes that depend on protein kinase activation. These controls are inoperative when the cytosol is flooded by Ca2+ through artificial means, enabling mitochondria to function as a Ca2+ sink under these conditions.