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Calcium in Drug Actions pp 491–507Cite as

Calcium Chelators and Calcium Ionophores

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Part of the book series: Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology ((HEP,volume 83))

Abstract

The preceding chapters in this volume have demonstrated that Ca ions play critical roles in the regulation of a very large number of physiologic, pharmacologic, and biochemical processes. In the study of these processes, it is invariably necessary to control and measure or monitor the free [Ca2+] with a high degree of precision. Many of these processes are sensitive to submicromolar levels of Ca2+, where endogenous or contaminant Ca2+ can become a significant problem. Therefore, in these instances it becomes especially important to control the concentration of free calcium with buffers. Thus, calcium chelators have played a crucial role in allowing progress in the understanding of Ca2+-regulated processes. Chelators are extensively utilized to buffer free [Ca2+] just as pH buffers are utilized to buffer low concentrations of protons. Calcium chelators which exhibit changes in their optical properties can be used as buffers and indicators of free [Ca2+] and those which are hydrophobic in nature can be used as Ca ionophores to alter (or control) free [Ca2+] inside cells, organelles, or vesicles. Additionally, these ionophores can be incorporated into synthetic membranes and can be used in Ca2+-selective electrodes (and microelectrodes) to measure free [Ca2+]. The present chapter will discuss some salient properties of these Ca2+ chelators which are important in their experimental use.

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Authors
  1. D. M. Bers
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  2. K. T. MacLeod
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology King’s College, University of London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, Great Britain

    Peter F. Baker (Professor Sc. D., F.R.S.) (Professor Sc. D., F.R.S.)

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© 1988 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Bers, D.M., MacLeod, K.T. (1988). Calcium Chelators and Calcium Ionophores. In: Baker, P.F. (eds) Calcium in Drug Actions. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, vol 83. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-71806-9_23

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-71806-9_23

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-71808-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-71806-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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