Differential regulation of SK and BK channels by Ca2+ signals from Ca2+ channels and ryanodine receptors in guinea-pig urinary bladder myocytes

Small-conductance (SK) and large-conductance (BK) Ca2+-activated K+ channels are key regulators of excitability in urinary bladder smooth muscle (UBSM) of guinea-pig. The overall goal of this study was to define how SK and BK channels respond to Ca2+ signals from voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (VDCCs) in the surface membrane and from ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ release channels or ryanodine receptors (RyRs) in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membrane, To characterize the role of SK channels in UBSM, the effects of the SK channel blocker apamin on phasic contractions were examined. Apamin caused a dose-dependent increase in the amplitude of phasic contractions over a broad concentration range (10(-10) to 10(-6) M). To determine the effects of Ca2+ signals from VDCCs and RyRs to SK and BK channels, whole cell membrane current was measured in isolated myocytes bathed in physiological solutions. Depolarization (-70 to + 10 mV for 100 ms) of isolated myocytes caused an inward Ca2+ current (I-Ca), followed by an outward current. The outward current was reduced in a dose-dependent manner by apamin (10(-10) to 10(-6) M), and designated I-SK.I-SK had a mean amplitude of 53.8 +/- 6.1 pA or similar to 1.4 pA pF(-1) at +10 mV. The amplitude of I-SK correlated with the peak I-Ca. Blocking I-Ca abolished I-SK. In contrast, I-SK was insensitive to the RyR blocker ryanodine (10 muM). These data indicate that Ca2+ signals from VDCCs, but not from RyRs, activate SK channels. BK channel currents (I-BK) were isolated from other currents by using the BK channel blockers tetraethylammonium ions (TEA(+); 1 nM) or iberiotoxin (200 nM). Voltage steps evoked transient and steady-state I-BK components. Transient BK currents have previously been shown to result from BK channel activation by local Ca2+ release through RyRs ('Ca2+ sparks'). Transient BK currents were inhibited by ryanodine (10 muM), as expected, and had a mean amplitude of 152.6 pA at +10 mV. The mean number of transient BK currents during a voltage step (range 0 to 3) correlated with I-Ca. There was a long delay (52.4 +/- 2.7 ms) between activation of I-Ca and the first transient BK current. In contrast, ryanodine did not affect the steady-state BK current (mean amplitude 135.4 pA) during the voltage step. The steady-state BK current was reduced 95 % by inhibition of VDCCs, suggesting that this process depends largely on Ca2+ entry through VDCCs and not Ca2+ release through RyRs. These results indicate that Ca2+ entry through VDCCs activates both BK and SK channels, but Ca2+ release (Ca2+ sparks) through RyRs activates only BK channels.