Regulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine-induced calcium mobilization by cAMP-elevating agents in cultured canine tracheal smooth muscle cells

Terbutaline, forskolin and cAMP reduce secretion of aqueous humour in the isolated bovine eye

In order to elucidate involvement of cyclic AMP and intracellular Ca²⁺,[Ca²⁺]_i, in the modulation of aqueous humour formation (AHF), we studied the effects of terbutaline, forskolin and 8-Br-cAMP in the isolated bovine eye. We also studied the interaction of cAMP on calcium signaling in cultured ciliary epithelial (CE) cells. Drug effects on AHF were measured by fluorescein dilution. Drug effects on [Ca²⁺]_i were studied by the fura-2 fluorescence ratio technique. Terbutaline (100 nmol-100 M), forskolin (30 nM-100 M) or 8-Br-cAMP (100 nM– 10 μM), administered in the arterial perfusate produced significant reductions in AHF. The AH reducing effect of terbutaline was blocked by a selective inhibitor of protein kinase A (KT-5720). ATP (100 M) caused a rapid, transient (peak) increase in [Ca²⁺]_i followed by a sustained plateau phase lasting more than 5 minutes. Preincubation of the cells (6 min) with terbutaline, forskolin or 8-Br-cAMP significantly reduced the peak calcium response to ATP. The sustained plateau phase of the response, on the other hand, was augmented by each of the agents. KT-5720 partially reversed the inhibitory effect of terbutaline on the peak and totally inhibited its effect on the plateau phase. These data indicate: (a) that AHF in the bovine eye can be manipulated through cyclic AMP, operating via protein kinase A, (b) that protein kinase A can affect [Ca²⁺]_i homeostasis, (c) that calcium release from the intracellular store, not the entry, affects AHF, and (d) that interaction of [Ca²⁺]_i with cAMP plays a role in modulating AH secretion.

Nicotinic receptors mediate increased GABA release in brain through a tetrodotoxin-insensitive mechanism during prolonged exposure to nicotine

The effects of nicotine on the spontaneous release of GABA from nerve terminals in the chick lateral spiriform nucleus were examined using whole cell patch-clamp recording in brain slices. Exposure to 1 microM nicotine produced an early immediate increase in the frequency of spontaneous postsynaptic GABAergic currents. This effect was blocked in the presence of 0.5 microM tetrodotoxin. However, a prolonged application of 0.1-1 microM nicotine (>3 min) caused a tetrodotoxin-insensitive increase in the frequency of spontaneous GABAergic currents. This late tetrodotoxin-insensitive effect was blocked by the nicotinic antagonists dihydro-beta-erythroidine (30 microM) and mecamylamine (10 microM), but not by methyllycaconitine (50-100 nM), indicating that activation of high affinity nicotine receptors was mainly responsible for this effect. This enhancement was inhibited by the high threshold Ca(2+) channel blocker Cd(2+) (100 microM), but not by dantrolene or ryanodine. The tetrodotoxin-insensitive enhancement of the frequency of GABA currents by nicotine was reduced by inhibition of cAMP-dependent protein kinase with HA1004 (30 microM), but not by inhibition of protein kinase C with staurosporine (1 microM), and was facilitated by forskolin (10 microM) or bromo-cAMP (50 microM). The results indicate that nicotine-enhanced GABA release can operate through both tetrodotoxin-sensitive and -insensitive mechanisms in a single brain region and that a second messenger cascade may be involved in the tetrodotoxin-insensitive enhancement by nicotine.

Modulation of thapsigargin-induced calcium mobilisation by cyclic AMP-elevating agents in human lymphocytes is insensitive to the action of the protein kinase A inhibitor H-89

Ca2+ mobilisation from internal stores and from the extracellular medium is one of the primary events involved in lymphocyte activation and proliferation. Regulation of these processes by adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) and cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) was studied in Fura2-loaded human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) was measured in single cells by the use of a ratio imaging fluorescence microscope and Ca2+ mobilisation was achieved by the use of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ ATPase inhibitor, thapsigargin (Thg). Our results show that both activation and inhibition of PKA, with forskolin (FSK) and N-[2-(p-bromocinnamylamino)ethyl]-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide.2HCl (H-89), respectively, inhibited the Thg-induced Ca2+ entry. Furthermore, FSK also reduced the ability of Thg to release Ca2+ from internal stores. This reduction was inhibited by the adenylyl cyclase (AC) inhibitor 9-(tetrahydro-2-furanyl)-9-H-purin-6-amine (SQ22,536), but not by the PKA inhibitor H89, indicating that cAMP but not PKA is responsible for this effect. FSK effect was mimicked by dibutyryl cAMP (dbcAMP) and by inhibition of phosphodiesterases (PDEs) with rolipram (ROL) and milrinone (MIL). We also showed that a very high concentration of H-89 (100 microM) releases Ca2+ from an intracellular pool, although this action is probably independent of PKA inhibition. Neither 10 microM H-89 nor other cAMP/PKA-modulating drugs had any effect on the basal [Ca2+]i of human lymphocytes. We conclude that PKA may act as a fine modulator of capacitative Ca2+ entry, while cAMP has a PKA-independent interaction with the Ca2+ stores of human lymphocytes.

Glucagon-like peptide 1 elevates cytosolic calcium in pancreatic beta-cells independently of protein kinase A

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (7-36)amide (GLP-1) is an insulinotropic intestinal peptide hormone with a potential role as antidiabetogenic therapeutic agent. It mediates a potentiation of glucose-induced insulin secretion, by activation of adenylate cyclase and subsequent elevation of cytosolic free calcium, [Ca2+]cyt. We investigated the role of protein kinase A (PKA) in GLP-1 signal transduction, using isolated mouse islets as well as the differentiated beta-cell line INS-1. Two specific inhibitors of PKA, (Rp)-adenosine cyclic 3',5'-phosporothioate (Rp-cAMPS, up to 3 mM) and KT5720 (up to 10 microM), did not inhibit the GLP-1-induced [Ca2+]cyt elevation. Another PKA inhibitor, H-89, reduced the [Ca2+]cyt elevation only when applied at high concentrations (10-40 microM), higher than sufficient for PKA inhibition in many cell types. Furthermore, at these concentrations, H-89 also inhibited presumably PKA-independent processes such as glucose-induced [Ca2+]cyt elevations and intracellular calcium storage. This suggests a PKA-independent action of H-89. Similarly to H-89, the potent but unselective protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine inhibited the GLP-1-induced [Ca2+]cyt elevation only at high concentrations, at which it also inhibited glucose-induced [Ca2+]cyt elevations. The same observations as with GLP-1 were made when adenylate cyclase was stimulated with forskolin, for selective examination of signal transduction downstream of receptor and G protein. Our results suggest that the GLP-1-induced [Ca2+]cyt elevation is mediated independently of PKA and thus belongs to the yet-little-characterized ensemble of effects that are mediated by binding of cAMP to other target proteins.

Isoproterenol potentiates alpha-adrenergic and muscarinic receptor-mediated Ca2+ response in rat parotid cells

The effects of the cAMP pathway on the Ca2+ response elicited by phospholipase C-coupled receptor stimulations were studied in rat parotid cells. Although 1 microM isoproterenol (Iso) itself had no effect on the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration, the pretreatment with Iso potentiated Ca2+ responses evoked by phenylephrine. The potentiating effect of Iso was attributed to a shifting of the concentration-response curves of phenylephrine to the left and an increase in the maximal response. Half-maximal potentiation occurred at 3 nM Iso. Iso also potentiated the Ca2+ response elicited by carbachol. The potentiating effect of Iso was mimicked by forskolin (10 microM) and dibutyryl adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (2 mM) and was blocked by 10 microM H-89. Iso potentiated the phenylephrine-induced Ca2+ response in the absence of extracellular Ca2+, but Iso did not increase the inositol trisphosphate (IP3) production induced by phenylephrine. These results suggest that the potentiation of the Ca2+ response can be attributed to a sensitization of IP3 receptors by cAMP-dependent protein kinase.