Characteristics of $Ca^{2+}$ Stores in Rabbit Cerebral Artery Myocytes

In a myocyte freshly isolated from rabbit cerebral artery, the characteristics of $Ca^{2+}$ release by histamine or caffeine were studied by microspectrofluorimetry using a $Ca^{2+}-binding$ fluorescent dye, fura-2. Histamine (5 ${\mu}M$) or caffeine (10 mM) induced a phasic rise of cytoplasmic free $Ca^{2+}$ concentration $([Ca^{2+}]_C)$ which could occur repetitively with extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ but only once or twice in $Ca^{2+}-free$ bathing solution. Also, the treatment with inhibitor of sarcoplasmic reticulum $Ca^{2+}-ATPase$ suppressed the rise of $[Ca^{2+}]_C$ by histamine or caffeine. In $Ca^{2+}-free$ bathing solution, short application of caffeine in advance markedly attenuated the effect of histamine, and vice versa. In normal $Ca^{2+}-containing$ solution with ryanodine (2 ${\mu}M$), the caffeine-induced rise of $[Ca^{2+}]_C$ occurred only once and in this condition, the response to histamine was also suppressed. On the other hand, in the presence of ryanodine, histamine could induce repetitive rise of $[Ca^{2+}]_C$ while the amplitude of peak rise became stepwisely decreased and eventually disappeared. These results suggest that two different $Ca^{2+}-release$ mechanisms (caffeine-sensitive and histamine-sensitive) are present in rabbit cerebral artery myocyte and the corresponding pools overlap each other functionally. Increase of $[Ca^{2+}]_C$ by histamine seems to partially activate ryanodine receptors present in caffeine-sensitive pool.