title: Alpha 2-adrenoreceptor stimulation does not inhibit L-type calcium channels in mouse pancreatic beta-cells.
abstract: The effects of alpha 2-adrenergic stimulation on the Ca(2+)-current in mouse pancreatic beta-cells were investigated using the patch-clamp technique. When using the conventional whole-cell recording configuration (dialysis of cell interior with pipette solution), addition of adrenaline (1 microM) or the alpha 2-adrenergic agonist clonidine (5 microM) failed to reduce the Ca(2+)-current, irrespective of whether intracellular GTP (or GTP gamma S) was present or not and at both physiological (1.3 mM) and elevated (10.2 mM) Ca(2+)-concentrations. In fact, in the absence of added guanine nucleotides, the agonists tended to increase the Ca(2+)-current amplitude in the presence of the higher Ca(2+)-concentration. Ca(2+)-channel activation measured at 1.3 mM Ca2+ was not affected by clonidine. Half-maximal activation was observed at approximately -20 mV. In addition, when Ca(2+)-currents were recorded from intact beta-cells, using the perforated patch whole-cell configuration, clonidine (1 microM) also failed to detectably affect the Ca(2+)-current. It is therefore suggested that the inhibition of beta-cell electrical activity and insulin-secretion produced by alpha 2-adrenoreceptor stimulation does not result from suppression of the L-type Ca(2+)-current.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, Gothenburg University, Sweden.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bokvist
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ammälä
authors.forename: P O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Berggren
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rorsman
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wåhlander
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D018674:Adrenergic Antagonists; D000818:Animals; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D002469:Cell Separation; D003000:Clonidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008820:Mice, Obese / Q000502:physiology; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018674:Adrenergic Antagonists; D015220:Calcium Channels; D007328:Insulin; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D003000:Clonidine; D004837:Epinephrine