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Calcium transients in single adrenal chromaffin cells detected with aequorin
Author(s) -
Cobbold Peter H.,
Cheek Timothy R.,
Roy Cuthbertson K.S.,
Burgoyne Robert D.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(87)81271-1
Subject(s) - aequorin , calcium , chromaffin cell , nicotine , endocrinology , chemistry , medicine , calcium in biology , catecholamine , stimulation , biophysics , adrenal medulla , biology
The effect of 55 mM K + and nicotine on intracellular free calcium was monitored in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells microinjected with aequorin. In contrast to results with quin 2, which suggested that stimulation of chromaffin cells resulted in sustained rises in free calcium, aequorin measurements showed that 55 mM K + and nicotine resulted in a transient (60–90 s) elevation of free calcium. The peak free calcium and duration of the transient elicited by nicotine were dose‐dependent. The concentration of nicotine (10 μM) giving a maximal secretory response gave a peak rise in free calcium of up to 1 μM. 55 mM K + which only releases 30% of the catecholamine released by 10 μM nicotine generated a calcium transient indistinguishable from that due to 10 μM nicotine. These results support the idea that nicotinic agonists generate an alternative second messenger in addition to the rise in free calcium.