OXIDANTS INCREASE INTRACELLULAR FREE ZN2+ CONCENTRATION IN RABBIT VENTRICULAR MYOCYTES

Oxidative stress may alter cardiac function by affecting intracellular free Zn2+ concentrations ([Zn2+](i)). Rabbit ventricular myocytes loa ded with fura 2 were used to fluorometrically measure resting [Zn2+](i ) (0.23 +/- 0.03 nM) and intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+](i)) (36 +/- 7 nM). Fluorescence quenching by the heavy metal chelator N,N, N',N'-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine was used to quantitate [Zn2+](i). The thiol-reactive oxidants hypochlorous acid (0.1 mM) and selenite (1 mM) increased [Zn2+](i) to 7.7 +/- 1.7 and 6.1 +/- 1.7 nM, respectively, within 5 min. Dithiothreitol (0.5 mM), a disulfide-redu cing agent, rapidly restored normal [Zn2+](i). The oxidants did not af fect [Ca2+](i). However, depolarization-induced Ca2+ transients and Ca 2+ currents were zinc dependent. [Zn2+](i)-associated fluorescence was substantial and, if ignored, it led to overestimation of [Ca2+](i) by approximately twofold before oxidant treatment and by approximately e ightfold after oxidants. The results demonstrate that [Zn2+](i) 1) can be greatly increased by thiol-reactive oxidants; 2) may contribute to oxidant-induced alterations of excitation-contraction coupling; and 3 ) has strong fura 2 fluorescence which, if overlooked, can lead to sig nificant overestimation of [Ca2+](i).