Possible involvement of surface charges in modifying the adrenomedullary secretion induced by high K depolarization

Possible role of surface potential in the gating mechanism of Ca2+ channels in cat adrenal chromaffin cells: studies with fura-2 microfluorometry

The cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca]in) in isolated cat chromaffin cells was measured by fura-2 microfluorometry. During 30 mM KCl depolarization or sucrose substitution for NaCl, a reduction in external Ca2+ concentration under optimal conditions paradoxically caused a rise in [Ca]in and, in separate experiments, in catecholamine secretion. The results support a previously suggested role of surface potentials in the gating mechanism of Ca2+ channels.

The key role of sodium in the ouabain-mediated potentiation of potassium-evoked catecholamine release in cat adrenal glands

1. The effect of [Na]o on the catecholamine release evoked by K in ouabain pretreated, isolated adrenal glands of the cat, was investigated. 2. Reduction of [Na]o to 70, 50 and 25 mM, with sucrose as a substitute, did not modify the spontaneous catecholamine release but progressively increased the K (17.7 mM)-evoked secretory response. 3. Ouabain pretreatment (100 microM; 10 min) greatly increased the K (17.7 mM)-evoked catecholamine secretory response in glands perfused with normal Krebs. Such an increase was still seen in glands perfused with 70 mM Na-containing solution but disappeared when [Na]o was reduced to 25 and 10 mM. 4. Preperfusion of non-ouabain treated glands with Li-enriched Krebs, for a 40 min period, caused an increase in the K (17.7 mM)-evoked secretory response which was dependent on [Li]o and essentially similar to that induced by ouabain pretreatment. 5. Ouabain treatment (100 microM; 10 min) of glands perfused with normal Krebs evoked a long lasting catecholamine release, which reached a plateau at about 36 min and amounted to 0.68 +/- 0.25 microgram 2 min-1 (n = 9). Such a secretory response was dramatically increased, and its shape modified, when glands were preperfused with K (17.7 mM)-Krebs: a peak of 3.77 +/- 0.42 micrograms 2 min-1 (n = 7) was reached at 18 min. This response was drastically reduced in the presence of nitrendipine (1 microM). 6. In summary, our results indicate that both [Na]0 reduction or Na accumulation into the chromaffin cell by inhibition of the Na pump with ouabain, greatly enhance the secretory efficacy of small increments of [K]0, and suggest that sodium may play a role in the regulation of catecholamine release mediated by voltage-dependent Ca channels in adrenal glands.

Inactivation of potassium-evoked adrenomedullary catecholamine release in the presence of calcium, strontium or BAY-K-8644

The rate of catecholamine release from cat adrenal glands perfused with Krebs solution containing 59 mM K declined exponentially during the first few minutes of depolarization. The rate of decline was considerably slower when Ca was substituted by Sr. The late addition of Ca, Sr or the Ca-channel activator BAY-K-8644 evoked a revival of secretion when catecholamine release was inactivated by prior K depolarization; the revival of secretion was independent of the depolarization time. These data demonstrate that inactivation of catecholamine release is specifically dependent on Ca; the modulatory role of Ca on secretion seems to be exerted at a step distal to the transmembraneous Ca channel.

Effects of the novel dihydropyridine BAY-K-8644 on adrenomedullary catecholamine release evoked by calcium reintroduction

Reintroduction of Ca ions to cat adrenal glands perfused at room temperature with Krebs solution lacking Ca and Mg, evoked a catecholamine secretory response that was directly proportional to the concentration of Ca reintroduced. This secretory response inactivated quickly, was abolished by nM concentrations of nifedipine and was potentiated dramatically by nM concentrations of BAY-K-8644. Excess Ca antagonized the inhibitory effects of nifedipine and this drug inhibited competitively the potentiating effects of BAY-K-8644. These data suggest 1st) that extracellular divalent cations deprivation activates specific Ca channels; 2nd) that the dihydropyridine BAY-K-8644 increases the release of catecholamines by Ca reintroduction by activating and/or delaying the inactivation of Ca channels; and 3rd) that the access of the dihydropyridine-type Ca agonist and antagonists to their "intra-channel" site of action requires the pre-activation of Ca channels.