Inhibitors and Na+/K+ ATPase effects on calcium uptake in exchange epithelia of terrestrial crabs

Author(s)

Luiz Alves de Brito

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Biociências (IBIOC/SB)
• Defense date: 2007-05-14

Examining board members

Flavia Pinheiro Zanotto; Marcus Vinicius Chrysostomo Baldo; Carolina Arruda de Oliveira Freire

• Advisor: Flavia Pinheiro Zanotto

Abstract

Calcium homeostasis possess a central role on animal cells and tissues and the understanding of transepithelial Ca2+ transport mechanisms becomes fundamental, and crustaceans have been used as study model. Since terrestrial and semi-terrestrial crabs have limited access to water, they have evolved physiological mechanisms in order to conserve Ca2+ (in gastroliths, hemolymph and hepatopancreas), and crustacean have shown four specialized tissues for specific bidirectional Ca2+ exchange: (i) gills, (ii) the gut epithelia, (iii) antennal glands e (iv) the layer of cuticle hypodermis (not analyzed in this project). In these tissues, the apical Ca2+ uptake involves a Ca2+/nNa+ (nH+) exchanger and a Ca2+ channel; in contrast, basolateral exchangers may involve: (i) a Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (ii) a Ca2+ ATPase, and (iii) a verapamil-inhibited Ca2+ channel. The objective of this project was to study the action of conjugated inhibitors (amiloride and verapamil) and ouabain (Na+/K + ATPase inhibitor) on Ca2+ uptake, to show the necessity of a Na+ gradient for the secondary Ca2+ transport in isolated gills, antennal glands and hepatopancreatic cells from intermoult and postmoult animals. The crabs used in this project (Grapsoidea Superfamily), present different levels of terrestrial adaptations: (a) Casmagnathus granulatus T2, (b) Sesarma rectum T3 and (c) Goniopsis cruentata T3. The inhibitors amiloride (12,7 mM), verapamil (40 mM), and amiloride + verapamil used in this project promoted a tendency to reduce Ca2+ transport. The results on ouabain inhibitor (17.1 mM) suggests the necessity of a Na+ gradient for secondary Ca2+ transport,. The results also suggest a relationship between level of terrestrial adaptation and physiological responses related to Ca2+ homeostasis in hepatopancreas, while the antennal gland does not seem to have a relevant role on Ca2+ homeostasis in semi-terrestrial crabs. (AU)