title: Catecholamine secretion by isolated adrenal cells.
abstract: Isolated adrenal cells were prepared by collagenase digestion of guinea pig adrenal glands. Acetylcholine stimulates the secretion of catecholamines by these isolated adrenal cells. Acetylcholine-stimulated catecholamine secretion is inhibited by cholinergic blocking agents (atropine and hexamethonium) and by local anaesthetics (tetracaine), and is dependent upon the concentration of Ca2+ in the incubation medium. In the presence of Ca2+, catecholamine secretion is also stimulated by two divalent cation ionophores, A23187 and X-537A. Cyclic nucleotides and 5'-nucleotides cause a small, non-specific stimulation of catecholamine secretion. These results indicate that isolated adrenal cells are a useful system in which to study catecholamine secretion, and support the hypothesis that increased Ca2+ entry into chromaffin cells is a sufficient stimulus for catecholamine secretion.
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006584:Hexamethonium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007700:Kinetics; D003012:Microbial Collagenase; D013748:Tetracaine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D006584:Hexamethonium Compounds; D013748:Tetracaine; D001285:Atropine; D003012:Microbial Collagenase; D000109:Acetylcholine; D002118:Calcium