Voltage-gated calcium channels and nonvoltage-gated calcium uptake pathways in the rat incisor odontoblast plasma membrane.

Odontoblasts participate actively in the transport and accumulation of Ca2+ ions to the mineralization front during dentinogenesis. These cells are known to carry membrane-bound ATP-driven pumps and Na+/Ca2+ antiports for Ca2+ extrusion, but little is known about Ca2+ influx mechanisms into these cells. It has been shown that the administration of Ca2+ channel blockers in vivo strongly impairs Ca2+ uptake in the mineral phase during dentinogenesis in the rat; the present in vitro study is aimed at further elucidating odontoblast Ca2+ uptake mechanisms. Dissected rat incisor odontoblasts exhibited a pronounced fluorescence when incubated with a fluorescently-labeled (STBodipy) dihydropyridine, which is specific for voltage-gated Ca2+ channels of the L-type, and this binding was competitively abolished by nifedipine. As assayed by fluorescence spectrometry, odontoblast Ca2+ uptake was enhanced by the agonistic dihydropyridine BAYK-8644 (5 micro;M) as well as by plasma membrane depolarization in a high K+ (120 mM) medium. The Ca2+ uptake after depolarization was impaired by nifedipine (5 micro;M). When treated with the Ca2+-ATPase inhibitor cyclopiazonic acid (CPA; 10 micro;M), a nonvoltage-gated uptake of 45Ca2+ was identified. This uptake was not influenced by nifedipine (20 micro;M) but was impaired by lanthanum ions (200 micro;M). A nonvoltage-gated uptake of Mn2+ into CPA-treated cells could be traced using the fura-2 quenching technique. This CPA-induced Ca2+ flux was not caused by an alteration of the plasma membrane potential, as assayed with di-8-ANEPPS. The results demonstrate that Ca2+ flux into dentinogenically active odontoblasts occurs through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels of the L-type and by nonvoltage-gated, agonist-sensitive Ca2+ uptake pathways.