EFFECTS OF MG2+ ON CA2+ HANDLING BY THE SARCOPLASMIC-RETICULUM IN SKINNED SKELETAL AND CARDIAC-MUSCLE FIBERS

The influence of myoplasmic Mg2+ (0.05-10 mM) on Ca2+ accumulation (net Ca2+ flux) and Ca2+ uptake (pump-driven Ca2+ influx) by the intact sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) was studied in skinned fibres from the toad iliofibularis muscle (twitch portion), rat extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle (fast twitch), rat soleus muscle (slow twitch) and rat cardiac trabeculae. Ca2+ accumulation was optimal between 1 and 3 mM Mg2+ in toad fibres and reached a plateau between 1 and 10 mM Mg2+ in the rat EDL fibres and between 3 and 10 mM Mg2+ in the rat cardiac fibres. In soleus fibres, optimal Ca2+ accumulation occurred at 10 mM Mg2+. The same trend was obtained with all preparations at 0.3 and 1 mu M Ca2+. Experiments with 2,5-di-(tert-butyl)-1,4-benzohydroquinone, a specific inhibitor of the Ca2+ pump, revealed a marked Ca2+ efflux from the SR of toad iliofibularis fibres in the presence of 0.2 mu M Ca2+ and 1 mM Mg2+. Further experiments indicated that the SR Ca2+ leak could be blocked by 10 mu M ruthenium red without affecting the SR Ca2+ pump and this allowed separation between SR Ca2+ uptake and SR Ca2+ accumulation. At 0.3 mu M Ca2+, Ca2+ uptake was optimal with 1 mM Mg2+ in the toad iliofibularis and rat EDL fibres and between 1 and 10 mM Mg2+ in the rat soleus and trabeculae preparations. At higher [Ca2+] (1 mu M), Ca2+ uptake was optimal with 1 mM Mg2+ in the iliofibularis fibres and between 1 and 3 mM Mg2+ in the EDL fibres. In the soleus and cardiac preparations Ca2+ uptake was optimal between 1 and 10 mM Mg2+ The results of this study demonstrate that SR Ca2+ accumulation is different from SR Ca2+ uptake and that these two important determinants of muscle function are differently affected by Mg2+ in different muscle fibre types.