Effects of xenon on intracellular Ca2% release in human endothelial cells

Using human endothelial cells loaded with the Ca^2% indicator Fura2 the effects of xenon on changes in intracellular Ca^2% were studied. The basal level of intracellular Ca^2% is not affected upon incubation of the cells in buffer saturated either with 100% xenon or with 70% xenon/30% air, a concentration which corresponds in humans to the minimum alveolar concentration necessary to induce anesthesia in 50% of patients. A defined cellular response such as the Ca^2% change induced by application of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) makes it possible to study the signalling chain between the stimulus and the various forms of Ca^2% response. ATP induces a typical Ca^2% fingerprint composed of an internal Ca^2% release consisting of several oscillations plus an additional Ca^2%-induced Ca^2% influx from the outside. The latter is absent in Ca^2%-free medium. When cells are incubated with xenon, only the first part of the ATP-induced Ca^2% response is found corresponding to the internal release of Ca^2%; the subsequent Ca^2%-induced Ca^2% influx does not take place. If xenon is removed, a fast recovery is observed and the cells again show both parts of the Ca²⁺ response. Such selective inhibition of Ca²⁺-induced Ca²⁺ influx is not obtained when xenon is replaced by N₂; the ATP response of the cell remains the same as that of untreated cells. Similar effects of xenon treatment can also be observed when the cells are treated with thapsigargin, a specific inhibitor of the SERCA systems. The Ca²⁺-induced Ca²⁺ release is almost completely suppressed in the presence of xenon. We conclude that xenon may act on the cellular level on defined sites of the mechanisms regulating the Ca²⁺-release-activated Ca²⁺ channels of the plasma membrane and that this property may be related to its anesthetic effect.