MBExC Lecture

David Eisner, DPhil, FRCP (Hon.), FMedSci, from the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, UK will talk about “Calcium in the heart: free and beyond”.

Abstract:
I will review how calcium is used to regulate cell function. Importantly, on each heartbeat, the amount of calcium that enters the cell must equal that which leaves. The lecture will discuss the consequences for cardiac function.
Most of the Ca that activates contraction comes from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and is released by Ca induced Ca release through the Ryanodine Receptor (RyR). The amount of Ca released depends on the properties of the RyR and the Ca content of the SR. I will discuss both the control of SR Ca content and the relationship between SR Ca content and the amplitude of the Ca transient.
During diastole, Ca is lowered to levels sufficiently low that the heart can relax but the mechanisms that control diastolic Ca are much less well understood. I will present data suggesting that diastolic Ca is indirectly controlled by the level of systolic Ca.
The final part of the lecture will consider the underappreciated consequences of the fact that only about 1% of the calcium is free, with the rest bound to buffers.

Host: Prof. Dr. Niels Voigt

Poster of the talk