Yasue Fukushi

Identification of Cyclic ADP-ribose-dependent Mechanisms in Pancreatic Muscarinic Ca2+ Signaling Using CD38 Knockout Mice

We showed that muscarinic acetylcholine (ACh)-stimulation increased the cellular content of cADPR in the pancreatic acinar cells from normal mice but not in those from CD38 knockout mice. By monitoring ACh-evoked increases in the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+] i ) using fura-2 microfluorimetry, we distinguished and characterized the Ca2+ release mechanisms responsive to cADPR. The Ca2+ response from the cells of the knockout mice (KO cells) lacked two components of the muscarinic Ca2+ release present in wild mice. The first component inducible by the low concentration of ACh contributed to regenerative Ca2+spikes. This component was abolished by ryanodine treatment in the normal cells and was severely impaired in KO cells, indicating that the low ACh-induced regenerative spike responses were caused by cADPR-dependent Ca2+ release from a pool regulated by a class of ryanodine receptors. The second component inducible by the high concentration of ACh was involved in the phasic Ca2+ response, and it was not abolished by ryanodine treatment. Overall, we conclude that muscarinic Ca2+signaling in pancreatic acinar cells involves a CD38-dependent pathway responsible for two cADPR-dependent Ca2+ release mechanisms in which the one sensitive to ryanodine plays a crucial role for the generation of repetitive Ca2+ spikes.

Neuronal norepinephrine as mediator for ouabain-induced smooth muscle contraction.

With some latency, ouabain (10(-6)--10(-5) M) induced a long-lasting contractile response of the isolated vas deferens of the guinea-pig. The ouabain-induced contraction was potentiated by pretreatment with tropolone, whereas it was prevented by pretreatment with cocaine, bretylium, reserpine or phentolamine. The response was unaffected byatropine, methysergide and tetrodotoxin. Ouabain, perfused into the isolated tissue, enhanced dose-dependently the release of norepinephrine into the medium. However, this enhancement of norepinephrine release was prevented by reserpine or by removal of Ca from the medium. These findings support the hypothesis that the ouabain-induced contraction of vas deferens might be due to norepinephrine released from the adrenergic nerve ending granules through a Ca2+-dependent process.

Ca2+ entry through the store-mediated pathway directly activates only the K+ current but the subsequent Ca2+ release from the store activates both K+ and Cl− currents in submandibular gland acinar cells of the rat

The store-mediated Ca2+ entry was detected in single and cluster of rat submandibular acinar cells by measuring the Ca2+ activated ionic membrane currents. In the cells where intracellular Ca2+ was partly depleted by stimulation with submaximal concentration of acetylcholine (ACh) under a Ca2(+)-free extracellular condition, an employment of external Ca2+ in the absence of ACh caused a sustained increase of the K+ current without affecting the Cl- current. A renewed ACh challenge without external Ca2+ caused repetitive spikes of both K+ and Cl- currents due to the Ca2+ release. SK & F 96365 inhibited the generation of the sustained K+ current and refilling of the Ca2+ store following the Ca2+ readmission. It is suggested that the Ca2+ enters the cell through the store-mediated pathway new the K+ channels and is taken up by the store. Thus, only Ca2+ released from the store can activate both the K+ and Cl- currents.

Dual excitatory actions of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction in the guinea-pig vas deferens

The action of acetylcholine (ACh) on the smooth muscle of guinea-pig vas deferens was studied using the sucrose-gap method. ACh, when applied at a concentration of 10−6 M, evoked a depolarization of the smooth muscle membrane which was slow in time course (slow depolarization). When ACh was applied at higher concentrations, another depolarization which was fast in time course (fast depolarization) occurred, overlapping the early part of the slow depolarization. The magnitudes of both depolarizations were concentration-dependent on ACh. TTX and adrenergic receptor antagonists had little effect on either depolarizations, while guanethidine and nicotinic receptor antagonists mainly suppressed the fast depolarization. In contrast, atropine suppressed the slow depolarization. The membrane conductance observed by current application, was reduced during the slow depolarization, and the reversal potential of the depolarization was 18.3 mV negative to the resting membrane potential. Whereas, the reversal potential of the fast depolarization was 27.6 mV positive to the resting membrane potential. This reversal potential was quite similar to that of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-induced depolarization, previously observed in the same tissue. From these observations, it is suggested that in the guinea-pig vas deferens, ACh acts on nicotinic receptors at the sympathetic postganglionic nerve terminal, causing the release mostly of a non-adrenergic transmitter, probably ATP. In addition, ACh also acts on muscarinic receptors on the smooth muscle membrane, inducing membrane depolarization resulting from a reduction of the membrane conductance to potassium ions.

Role of extracellular Ca2+ in acetylcholine‐induced repetitive Ca2+ release in submandibular gland acinar cells of the rat

Acetylcholine (ACh) caused repetitive transient Cl− currents activated by intracellular Ca2+ in single rat submandibular grand acinar cells. As the concentration of ACh increased the amplitude and the frequency of the transient Cl− currents increased. These responses occurred also in the absence of extracellular Ca2+ but disappeared after several minutes. Repetitive transient Cl− currents were restored by readmission of Ca2+ to the extracellular solution. The higher the concentration of extracellular Ca2+ readmitted, the larger the amplitude of the transient Cl− currents. Ca2+ entry through a store‐coupled pathway was detected by application of Ca2+ to the extracellular solution during a brief cessation of stimulation with ACh. In these experiments too, the higher the concentration of Ca2+, the larger the transient Cl− currents activated by Ca2+ released from the stores. The time course of decrease in total charge movements of repetitive transient responses to ACh with removal of extracellular Ca2+ depended on a decrease in charge movements of each transient event rather than a decrease in frequency of the repetitive events. The decrease of charge movements of each transient event was due to a decrease in its amplitude rather than its duration. The results suggest that in this cell type an amplitude‐modulated mechanism is involved in repetitive Ca2+ release and that Ca2+ entry is essential to maintain the repetitive release of Ca2+. The results further suggest that the magnitude of Ca2+ entry determines the number of unitary stores filled with Ca2+ which can synchronously respond to ACh.

Lack of involvement of Ca2+ conductance change in ATP-induced depolarization of the guinea-pig vas deferens

The double sucrose-gap method was used to examine the electrical responses of the guinea-pig vas deferens to ATP and their possible dependence on external Ca2+. Normally ATP induced a depolarization and an increase in membrane conductance and both effects were concentration-dependent. The reversal potential of the 10(-4) M ATP-induced depolarization was 27.1 mV positive to the resting membrane potential of the tissue. This value was quite similar to that previously obtained for the 3 X 10(-5) M ATP-induced depolarization. The smooth muscle membrane was depolarized by 5.9 mV in a Ca-free medium, in which ATP also caused a depolarization, associated with an increase in membrane conductance. The reversal potential of the depolarization induced by ATP (10(-4) M) in the Ca-free medium was 26.5 mV positive to the resting membrane potential. The results suggest that, in this tissue, ATP induces membrane depolarization with little effect on Ca2+ conductance.