Purine and pyrimidine nucleotides inhibit a noninactivating K+ current and depolarize adrenal cortical cells through a G protein-coupled receptor

In situ metabolomics of aldosterone-producing adenomas

Recent genetic examinations and multisteroid profiles have provided the basis for subclassification of aldosterone-producing adenomas (APAs). The objective of the current study was to produce a comprehensive, high-resolution mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) map of APAs in relation to morphometry, immunohistochemical profiles, mutational status, and clinical outcome. The study cohort comprised 136 patients with unilateral primary aldosteronism. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance MSI was conducted, and metabolite profiles were analyzed with genotype/phenotype information, including digital image analysis from morphometry and IHC of steroidogenic enzymes. Distinct molecular signatures between KCNJ5- and CACNA1D-mutated APAs with significant differences of 137 metabolites, including metabolites of purine metabolism and steroidogenesis, were observed. Intratumor concentration of 18-oxocortisol and 18-hydroxycortisol were inversely correlated with the staining intensity of CYP11B1. Lower staining intensity of CYP11B1 and higher levels of 18-oxocortisol were associated with a higher probability of complete clinical success after surgery. The present study demonstrates distinct metabolomic profiles of APAs in relation to tumor genotype. In addition, we reveal an inverse correlation between cortisol derivatives and CYP11B1 and the impact of 18-oxocortisol and CYP11B1 on clinical outcome, which provides unprecedented insights into the pathophysiology, clinical features, and steroidogenesis of APAs.

Extracellular ATP and other nucleotides-ubiquitous triggers of intercellular messenger release

Extracellular nucleotides, and ATP in particular, are cellular signal substances involved in the control of numerous (patho)physiological mechanisms. They provoke nucleotide receptor-mediated mechanisms in select target cells. But nucleotides can considerably expand their range of action. They function as primary messengers in intercellular communication by stimulating the release of other extracellular messenger substances. These in turn activate additional cellular mechanisms through their own receptors. While this applies also to other extracellular messengers, its omnipresence in the vertebrate organism is an outstanding feature of nucleotide signaling. Intercellular messenger substances released by nucleotides include neurotransmitters, hormones, growth factors, a considerable variety of other proteins including enzymes, numerous cytokines, lipid mediators, nitric oxide, and reactive oxygen species. Moreover, nucleotides activate or co-activate growth factor receptors. In the case of hormone release, the initially paracrine or autocrine nucleotide-mediated signal spreads through to the entire organism. The examples highlighted in this commentary suggest that acting as ubiquitous triggers of intercellular messenger release is one of the major functional roles of extracellular nucleotides. While initiation of messenger release by nucleotides has been unraveled in many contexts, it may have been overlooked in others. It can be anticipated that additional nucleotide-driven messenger functions will be uncovered with relevance for both understanding physiology and development of therapy.

Purinergic signalling in endocrine organs

There is widespread involvement of purinergic signalling in endocrine biology. Pituitary cells express P1, P2X and P2Y receptor subtypes to mediate hormone release. Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) regulates insulin release in the pancreas and is involved in the secretion of thyroid hormones. ATP plays a major role in the synthesis, storage and release of catecholamines from the adrenal gland. In the ovary purinoceptors mediate gonadotrophin-induced progesterone secretion, while in the testes, both Sertoli and Leydig cells express purinoceptors that mediate secretion of oestradiol and testosterone, respectively. ATP released as a cotransmitter with noradrenaline is involved in activities of the pineal gland and in the neuroendocrine control of the thymus. In the hypothalamus, ATP and adenosine stimulate or modulate the release of luteinising hormone-releasing hormone, as well as arginine-vasopressin and oxytocin. Functionally active P2X and P2Y receptors have been identified on human placental syncytiotrophoblast cells and on neuroendocrine cells in the lung, skin, prostate and intestine. Adipocytes have been recognised recently to have endocrine function involving purinoceptors.

The birth and postnatal development of purinergic signalling

The purinergic signalling system is one of the most ancient and arguably the most widespread intercellular signalling system in living tissues. In this review we present a detailed account of the early developments and current status of purinergic signalling. We summarize the current knowledge on purinoceptors, their distribution and role in signal transduction in various tissues in physiological and pathophysiological conditions.

Changes in P2Y 2 receptor localization on adrenaline‐ and noradrenaline‐containing chromaffin cells in the rat adrenal gland during development and aging

Using immunohistochemistry, the occurrence and age-related changes of the P2Y2 receptor was investigated in the adrenal gland of rat at different ages, ranging from embryonic day E16 to 22 months. Immunoreactivity for the P2Y2 receptor was present in chromaffin cells and nerve fibres at all ages examined. Double labeling with the antibody against phenyl ethanolamine-N-methyltransferase, which marks adrenaline-producing chromaffin cells, revealed that only a few of the P2Y2-immunoreactive cells were adrenaline producing at embryonic day E16, the vast majority being noradrenaline-containing cells. However, immunoreactivity for adrenaline-containing cells in the P2Y2 receptor-labeled chromaffin cells increased with increasing age and at 1 week post-natal almost all chromaffin cells were positive for both P2Y2 and phenyl ethanolamine-N-methyltransferase, while noradrenaline-containing cells were minimal. At 2 weeks, there was a dramatic drop in P2Y2-immunoreactive chromaffin cells and this was maintained in adult rats, noradrenaline-containing cells dominating. In the aging rat adrenals, P2Y2 receptor-immunoreactivity was localized in subpopulations of both adrenaline and noradrenaline-producing cells. Intrinsic neurones were also visible that were positively labeled with the P2Y2 receptor antibody in the adrenals of both adult and aging rats. P2Y2-immunoreactive nerve fibres formed a plexus around the adrenal cortical cells of zona glomerulosa in the post-natal, but not in adult or aging rats. In conclusion, this study suggests that ATP, acting through P2Y2 receptors, may influence the phenotypic expression of chromaffin cells during the development and aging of the rat adrenal gland. However, during early development, when the chromaffin cells are actively dividing and during aging, when the adrenal medullary cells are known to show hyperplastic lesions, ATP acting through P2Y2 receptors may be involved in other physiological activities, such as proliferation and/or differentiation of the chromaffin cells associated with their adrenaline or noradrenaline phenotype.

Angiotensin II inhibits bTREK-1 K+ channels in adrenocortical cells by separate Ca2+- and ATP hydrolysis-dependent mechanisms

Bovine adrenocortical cells express bTREK-1 K+ channels that set the resting membrane potential (V(m)) and couple angiotensin II (AngII) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) receptors to membrane depolarization and corticosteroid secretion. In this study, it was discovered that AngII inhibits bTREK-1 by separate Ca2+- and ATP hydrolysis-dependent signaling pathways. When whole cell patch clamp recordings were made with pipette solutions that support activation of both Ca2+- and ATP-dependent pathways, AngII was significantly more potent and effective at inhibiting bTREK-1 and depolarizing adrenal zona fasciculata cells, than when either pathway is activated separately. External ATP also inhibited bTREK-1 through these two pathways, but ACTH displayed no Ca2+-dependent inhibition. AngII-mediated inhibition of bTREK-1 through the novel Ca2+-dependent pathway was blocked by the AT1 receptor antagonist losartan, or by including guanosine-5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) in the pipette solution. The Ca2+-dependent inhibition of bTREK-1 by AngII was blunted in the absence of external Ca2+ or by including the phospholipase C antagonist U73122, the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor antagonist 2-amino-ethoxydiphenyl borate, or a calmodulin inhibitory peptide in the pipette solution. The activity of unitary bTREK-1 channels in inside-out patches from adrenal zona fasciculata cells was inhibited by application of Ca2+ (5 or 10 microM) to the cytoplasmic membrane surface. The Ca2+ ionophore ionomycin also inhibited bTREK-1 currents through channels expressed in CHO-K1 cells. These results demonstrate that AngII and selected paracrine factors that act through phospholipase C inhibit bTREK-1 in adrenocortical cells through simultaneous activation of separate Ca2+- and ATP hydrolysis-dependent signaling pathways, providing for efficient membrane depolarization. The novel Ca2+-dependent pathway is distinctive in its lack of ATP dependence, and is clearly different from the calmodulin kinase-dependent mechanism by which AngII modulates T-type Ca2+ channels in these cells.

Biochemical and Ionic signaling mechanisms for ACTH-stimulated cortisol production

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-stimulated cortisol production by adrenal zona fasciculata cells requires coordinated biochemical and ionic signaling mechanisms that employ adenosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) and Ca(2+) as intracellular messengers. As the primary messenger generated in response to ACTH receptor activation, cAMP acts at multiple sites to produce the full steroidogenic response that includes both rapid and delayed components. Biochemically, cAMP activates and induces the expression of multiple proteins that function in converting cholesterol to cortisol. These include the steroid acute regulatory (StAR) protein as well as steroidogenic enzymes. cAMP also inhibits a background K(+) channel (bTREK-1), which sets the resting potential of adrenal zona fasciculata (AZF) cells, thereby triggering membrane depolarization and Ca(2+) entry through voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels. Ca(2+) also accelerates the production of cortisol from cholesterol by activating or inducing the synthesis of steroidogenic proteins. In this scheme, background K(+) channels act pivotally by transducing a hormonal signal at the cell membrane to an ionic signal, leading to depolarization-dependent Ca(2+) entry. In this way, ACTH receptor activation increases cAMP and Ca(2+) in the AZF cell, yielding the full steroidogenic response. In addition to acutely regulating the activity of AZF cell ion channels, ACTH and cAMP also regulate the expression of genes coding for these ion channels. The tonic control of the expression of AZF cell ion channels through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis suggests that prolonged stimulation of the AZF cell by ACTH may alter the electrical properties of these cells in a manner which matches the organism's requirement for cortisol.

TREK-1 K+ channels couple angiotensin II receptors to membrane depolarization and aldosterone secretion in bovine adrenal glomerulosa cells

Bovine adrenal glomerulosa (AZG) cells were shown to express bTREK-1 background K(+) channels that set the resting membrane potential and couple angiotensin II (ANG II) receptor activation to membrane depolarization and aldosterone secretion. Northern blot and in situ hybridization studies demonstrated that bTREK-1 mRNA is uniformly distributed in the bovine adrenal cortex, including zona fasciculata and zona glomerulosa, but is absent from the medulla. TASK-3 mRNA, which codes for the predominant background K(+) channel in rat AZG cells, is undetectable in the bovine adrenal cortex. In whole cell voltage clamp recordings, bovine AZG cells express a rapidly inactivating voltage-gated K(+) current and a noninactivating background K(+) current with properties that collectively identify it as bTREK-1. The outwardly rectifying K(+) current was activated by intracellular acidification, ATP, and superfusion of bTREK-1 openers, including arachidonic acid (AA) and cinnamyl 1-3,4-dihydroxy-alpha-cyanocinnamate (CDC). Bovine chromaffin cells did not express this current. In voltage and current clamp recordings, ANG II (10 nM) selectively inhibited the noninactivating K(+) current by 82.1 +/- 6.1% and depolarized AZG cells by 31.6 +/- 2.3 mV. CDC and AA overwhelmed ANG II-mediated inhibition of bTREK-1 and restored the resting membrane potential to its control value even in the continued presence of ANG II. Vasopressin (50 nM), which also physiologically stimulates aldosterone secretion, inhibited the background K(+) current by 73.8 +/- 9.4%. In contrast to its potent inhibition of bTREK-1, ANG II failed to alter the T-type Ca(2+) current measured over a wide range of test potentials by using pipette solutions of identical nucleotide and Ca(2+)-buffering compositions. ANG II also failed to alter the voltage dependence of T channel activation under these same conditions. Overall, these results identify bTREK-1 K(+) channels as a pivotal control point where ANG II receptor activation is transduced to depolarization-dependent Ca(2+) entry and aldosterone secretion.

Cellular Distribution and Functions of P2 Receptor Subtypes in Different Systems

This review is aimed at providing readers with a comprehensive reference article about the distribution and function of P2 receptors in all the organs, tissues, and cells in the body. Each section provides an account of the early history of purinergic signaling in the organ?cell up to 1994, then summarizes subsequent evidence for the presence of P2X and P2Y receptor subtype mRNA and proteins as well as functional data, all fully referenced. A section is included describing the plasticity of expression of P2 receptors during development and aging as well as in various pathophysiological conditions. Finally, there is some discussion of possible future developments in the purinergic signaling field.

An ACTH- and ATP-regulated background K+ channel in adrenocortical cells is TREK-1

Bovine adrenal zona fasciculata (AZF) cells express a background K(+) channel (I(AC)) that sets the resting potential and acts pivotally in ACTH-stimulated cortisol secretion. We have cloned a bTREK-1 (KCNK2) tandem-pore K(+) channel cDNA from AZF cells with properties that identify it as the native I(AC). The bTREK-1 cDNA is expressed robustly in AZF cells and includes transcripts of 4.9, 3.6, and 2.8 kb. In patch clamp recordings made from transiently transfected cells, bTREK-1 displayed distinctive properties of I(AC) in AZF cells. Specifically, bTREK-1 currents were outwardly rectifying with a large instantaneous and smaller time-dependent component. Similar to I(AC), bTREK-1 increased spontaneously in amplitude over many minutes of whole cell recording and was blocked potently by Ca(2+) antagonists including penfluridol and mibefradil and by 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-cAMP. Unitary TREK-1 and I(AC) currents were nearly identical in amplitude. The native I(AC) current, in turn, displayed properties that together are specific to TREK-1 K(+) channels. These include activation by intracellular acidification, enhancement by the neuroprotective agent riluzole, and outward rectification. bTREK-1 current differed from native K(+) current only in its lack of ATP dependence. In contrast to I(AC), the current density of bTREK-1 in human embryonic kidney-293 cells was not increased by raising pipette ATP from 0.1 to 5 mm. Further, the enhancement of I(AC) current in AZF cells by low pH and riluzole was facilitated by, and dependent on, ATP at millimolar concentrations in the pipette solution. Overall, these results establish the identity of I(AC) K(+) channels, demonstrate the expression of bTREK-1 in a specific endocrine cell, identify potent new TREK-1 antagonists, and assign a pivotal role for these tandem-pore channels in the physiology of cortisol secretion. The activation of I(AC) by ATP indicates that native bTREK-1 channels may function as sensors that couple the metabolic state of the cell to membrane potential, perhaps through an associated ATP-binding protein.

Regulation of the voltage-gated K+ channel KCNA10 by KCNA4B, a novel beta-subunit

Voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channels are heteromultimeric complexes consisting of pore-forming alpha-subunits and accessory beta-subunits. Several beta-subunits have been identified and shown to interact with specific alpha-subunits to modify their levels of expression or some of their kinetic properties. The aim of the present study was to isolate accessory proteins for KCNA10, a novel Kv channel alpha-subunit functionally related to Kv and cyclic nucleotide-gated cation channels. Because one distinguishing feature of KCNA10 is a putative cyclic nucleotide-binding domain located at the COOH terminus, the entire COOH-terminal region was used to probe a human cardiac cDNA library using the yeast two-hybrid system. Interacting clones were then rescreened in a functional assay by coinjection with KCNA10 in Xenopus oocytes. One of these clones (KCNA4B), when injected alone in oocytes, produced no detectable current. However, when coinjected with KCNA10, it increased KCNA10 current expression by nearly threefold. In addition, the current became more sensitive to activation by cAMP. KCNA4B can be coimmunoprecipitated with the COOH terminus of KCNA10 and full-length KCNA10. It encodes a soluble protein (141 aa) with no amino acid homology to known beta-subunits but with limited structural similarity to the NAD(P)H-dependent oxidoreductase superfamily. KCNA4B is located on chromosome 13 and spans approximately16 kb, and its coding region is made up of five exons. In conclusion, KCNA4B represents the first member of a new class of accessory proteins that modify the properties of Kv channels.

Reciprocal modulation of voltage-gated and background K(+) channels mediated by nucleotides and corticotropin

Bovine adrenal zona fasciculata (AZF) cells express two types of K(+)-selective ion channels including a rapidly inactivating bKv1.4 current (I(A)) and an ATP-dependent noninactivating background current (I(AC)) that sets the resting membrane potential. Whole-cell, patch-clamp recording from cultured AZF cells was used to demonstrate a novel reciprocal modulation of these two K(+) channels by intracellular nucleotides and corticotropin. Specifically, increases in I(AC) activity induced by intracellular ATP, as well as GTP and 5'-adenylyl-imidodiphosphate (AMP-PNP), were accompanied by a corresponding decrease in the amplitude of the voltage-gated I(A) current. The reduction in I(A) current was observed only when patch pipettes contained ATP or other nucleotides at concentrations sufficient to support activation of I(AC). Conversely, the nearly complete inhibition of I(AC) by corticotropin was accompanied by the coincident reappearance of functional I(A) channels. In the absence of I(AC) current, corticotropin failed to alter I(A). The reciprocal modulation of AZF cell K(+) channels by nucleotides and corticotropin was independent of membrane voltage. These results demonstrate a new form of channel modulation in which the activity of two different K(+) channels is reciprocally modulated in tandem through hormonal and metabolic signaling pathways. They further suggest that I(A) and I(AC) K(+) channels may be functionally coupled in a dynamic equilibrium driven by intracellular ATP and G-protein-coupled receptors. This may represent a unique mechanism for transducing biochemical signals to ionic events involved in cortisol secretion.

Properties of ATP-dependent K(+) channels in adrenocortical cells

Bovine adrenocortical zona fasciculata (AZF) cells express a novel ATP-dependent K(+)-permeable channel (I(AC)). Whole cell and single-channel recordings were used to characterize I(AC) channels with respect to ionic selectivity, conductance, and modulation by nucleotides, inorganic phosphates, and angiotensin II (ANG II). In outside-out patch recordings, the activity of unitary I(AC) channels is enhanced by ATP in the patch pipette. These channels were K(+) selective with no measurable Na(+) or Ca(2+) conductance. In symmetrical K(+) solutions with physiological concentrations of divalent cations (M(2+)), I(AC) channels were outwardly rectifying with outward and inward chord conductances of 94.5 and 27.0 pS, respectively. In the absence of M(2+), conductance was nearly ohmic. Hydrolysis-resistant nucleotides including AMP-PNP and NaUTP were more potent than MgATP as activators of whole cell I(AC) currents. Inorganic polytriphosphate (PPP(i)) dramatically enhanced I(AC) activity. In current-clamp recordings, nucleotides and PPP(i) produced resting potentials in AZF cells that correlated with their effectiveness in activating I(AC). ANG II (10 nM) inhibited whole cell I(AC) currents when patch pipettes contained 5 mM MgATP but was ineffective in the presence of 5 mM NaUTP and 1 mM MgATP. Inhibition by ANG II was not reduced by selective kinase antagonists. These results demonstrate that I(AC) is a distinctive K(+)-selective channel whose activity is increased by nucleotide triphosphates and PPP(i). Furthermore, they suggest a model for I(AC) gating that is controlled through a cycle of ATP binding and hydrolysis.

Characterization and immunohistochemical localization of nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (NTPDase) in pig adrenal glands (presence of a non-sedimentable isoform)

Considering that adrenal glands possess a variety of purinoceptors associated with various cell types and that some of these cells (chromaffin cells) secrete large amounts of adenine nucleotides, it was of interest to localize nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (NTPDase) in these glands and to define the biochemical characteristics of this ectonucleotidase. Immunolocalization produced a moderate reaction in capsula and medulla, with no signal in zona glomerulosa and zona reticularis. In contrast, a very strong reaction was found in zona fasciculata. Biochemical analysis of particulate fractions isolated from whole glands revealed high levels of ATPase and ADPase activities. This appeared to be attributable to the NTPDase since the level of ADPase was as high as ATPase. Both ATPase and ADPase activities were similarly inhibited by sodium azide. Additionally electrophoretograms with these two substrates showed comparable patterns. Western blots with 'Ringo', an antibody that recognizes the different isoforms of mammalian NTPDases, showed the presence of isoforms of NTPDases at 54 and 78 kDa, respectively. Interestingly, the 54 kDa isoform remains in the supernatant of a chromaffin granule lysate after ultracentrifugation. Up until now little interest has been given to the relationship between adrenal medulla and cortex. Presence of purinoceptors and ectonucleotidases in both these regions together with the effects of ATP in vivo and in vitro in different species indicate that purines play a significant role in adrenal glands.

Advances in signalling by extracellular nucleotides. the role and transduction mechanisms of P2Y receptors

Nucleotides are ubiquitous intercellular messengers whose actions are mediated by specific receptors. Since the first clonings in 1993, it is known that nucleotide receptors belong to two families: the ionotropic P2X receptors and the metabotropic P2Y receptors. Five human P2Y receptor subtypes have been cloned so far and a sixth one must still be isolated. In this review we will show that they differ by their preference for adenine versus uracil nucleotides and triphospho versus diphospho nucleotides, as well as by their transduction mechanisms and cell expression.

KCNA10: a novel ion channel functionally related to both voltage-gated potassium and CNG cation channels

Our laboratory previously cloned a novel rabbit gene (Kcn1), expressed in kidney, heart, and aorta, and predicted to encode a protein with 58% amino acid identity with the K channel Shaker Kv1.3 (Yao X et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 92: 11711-11715, 1995). Because Kcn1 did not express well (peak current in Xenopus laevis oocytes of 0.3 microA at +60 mV), the human homolog (KCNA10) was isolated, and its expression was optimized in oocytes. KCNA10 mediates voltage-gated K(+) currents that exhibit minimal steady-state inactivation. Ensemble currents of 5-10 microA at +40 mV were consistently recorded from injected oocytes. Channels are closed at the holding potential of -80 mV but are progressively activated by depolarizations more positive than -30 mV, with half-activation at +3.5 +/- 2.5 mV. The channel displays an unusual inhibitor profile because, in addition to being blocked by classical K channel blockers (barium tetraethylammonium and 4-aminopyridine), it is also sensitive to inhibitors of cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) cation channels (verapamil and pimozide). Tail-current analysis shows a reversal potential shift of 47 mV/decade change in K concentration, indicating a K-to-Na selectivity ratio of at least 15:1. The phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, an activator of protein kinase C, inhibited whole cell current by 42%. Analysis of single-channel currents reveals a conductance of approximately 11 pS. We conclude KCNA10 is a novel human voltage-gated K channel with features common to both K-selective and CNG cation channels. Given its distribution in renal blood vessels and heart, we speculate that KCNA10 may be involved in regulating the tone of renal vascular smooth muscle and may also participate in the cardiac action potential.

Adenosine inhibits a non-inactivating K+ current in bovine adrenal cortical cells by activation of multiple P1 receptors

1. Bovine adrenal zona fasciculata (AZF) cells express a non-inactivating K+ current (IAC) that sets the resting potential while it is activated by intracellular ATP. In whole-cell patch clamp recordings from bovine AZF cells, we found that adenosine selectively inhibited IAC by a maximum of 78.4 +/- 4.6 % (n = 8) with an IC50 of 71 nM. The non-selective adenosine receptor agonist NECA effectively inhibited IAC by 79.3 +/- 2.9 % (n = 24) at a concentration of 100 nM. 2. Inhibition of IAC was mediated through multiple P1 adenosine receptor subtypes. The A1-selective agonist CCPA (10 nM), the A2A-selective agonist CGS 21680 (100 nM) and the A3-selective agonist IB-MECA (10 nM) inhibited IAC by 64.8 +/- 8.4, 78.4 +/- 4.6 and 69.3 +/- 6.9 %, respectively. 3. Specific adenosine receptor subtype antagonists including DPCPX (A1), ZM 241385 (A2A) and MRS 1191 (A3) effectively blocked inhibition of IAC by adenosine receptor-selective agonists. 4. A mixture of the three adenosine receptor antagonists completely suppressed inhibition of IAC by adenosine, but failed to alter inhibition by external ATP which acts through a separate P2 nucleotide receptor. 5. Inhibition of IAC by adenosine or NECA was eliminated by substituting GDP-beta-S for GTP in the pipette, or by replacing ATP with AMP-PNP or UTP. 6. In addition to inhibiting IAC, adenosine (10 microM) depolarized AZF cells by 46.2 +/- 5.8 mV (n = 6). 7. These results show that bovine AZF cells express at least three adenosine receptor subtypes (A1, A2A, A3), each of which is coupled to the inhibition of IAC K+ channels through a G-protein-dependent mechanism requiring ATP hydrolysis. Adenosine-mediated inhibition of IAC is associated with membrane depolarization. Adenosine and other purines may co-ordinate the stress-induced secretion of corticosteroids and catecholamines from the adrenal gland.