Age dependency of high-affinity ouabain receptors and their magnetosensitivity

Age dependency of [3H]-ouabain binding, 45Ca2+ eflux and its magnetosensitivity in rats’ brain cortex and heart muscle tissues were studied. Curves of dose-dependent [3H]-ouabain binding consisted of three components with different affinities (10−7–10−4 M (α1); 10−9–10−7 M (α2); and 10−11–10−9 M (α3)). These curves were also characterized by different dose-dependent kinetics. [3H]-ouabain binding with α3 receptors in brain cortex and heart muscle tissues of young and adult animals had a dose-dependent character, while that in old ones had a dose-independent character. A 0.2 T static magnetic field (SMF) exposure had modulation effect on ouabain binding with α1, α2 and α3 receptors in young rats, while in adult ones, only α3 receptors were magnetosensitive. In old animals, SMF exposure had no significant effect on ouabain binding with α3 receptors in brain cortex, while in heart muscle, it had inhibitory effect on it. Age-dependent effect of ouabain impact on 45Ca2+ efflux showed that all concentrations of ouabain lead to inhibitory effect in young animals’ brain cortex and heart muscle (with the exception of 10−10 and 10−6 M), while in old ones, it had activation effect as compared with data received without ouabain. SMF exposure in young animals had activation effect on 45Ca2+ efflux from brain cortex and heart muscle in data without ouabain, and in old rats, 45Ca2+ efflux from brain cortex was magnetic insensitive. In old animals, SMF increased 45Ca2+ efflux even after extra low concentration of ouabain. It is suggested that α3 receptors having a crucial role in the regulation of Na+/Ca2+ exchange serve as age-dependent magnetosensors of excitable cells.