Changes of cytosolic Ca2+ interfere with measurements of cytosolic Mg2+ using mag-fura-2.

In rat pancreatic and submandibular gland acini during exposure to carbachol, changes in the fluorescence emission intensity ratio (R) of acini loaded with mag-fura-2 resemble changes in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration (Ca2+i) in acini loaded with fura-2. Furthermore, changes of R depend on the presence of extracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+o) but are much less influenced by changes in extracellular Mg2+ (Mg2+o). To evaluate interference with measurement of cytosolic Mg2+ (Mg2+i) by changes in Ca2+i, we determined the dissociation constant (Kd) and Hill coefficient (NH) of the Ca(2+)-mag-fura-2 and Mg(2+)-mag-fura-2 complexes in standard solutions, in intact acini after loading with the acetoxymethyl ester of mag-fura-2 (mag-fura-2/AM), and in lysates derived from acini loaded with mag-fura-2/AM. The Kd of the Ca(2+)-mag-fura-2 complex in acini (determined with ionomycin) was 20.49 +/- 5.20 microM, and NH was 1.44 +/- 0.16 (n = 24). Kd of the Mg(2+)-mag-fura-2 complex in acini was 2.25 +/- 0.98 mM, and NH was 1.20 +/- 0.20 (n = 25). Mean Kd values were slightly lower in acinar lysates and in solutions of standard mag-fura-2. In acini from either gland, 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethan-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA) suppressed carbachol-induced Ca2+i transients. The R value in stimulated acini loaded with BAPTA and mag-fura-2 increased slightly when Mg2+o was increased from less than 10 nM to 1.2 mM, suggesting that Mg2+ influx contributes to the maintenance of Mg2+i during exposure to carbachol. Under these conditions, pancreatic acinar Mg2+i is 0.53 +/- 0.14 mM (n = 5).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)