title: Inhibition by nimodipine of growth hormone (GH) releasing factor-induced GH secretion from rat anterior pituitary cells.
abstract: The involvement of voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels has been suggested in growth hormone (GH) releasing factor (GRF)-induced GH secretion from somatotrophs. To characterize further the role of L-type Ca2+ channels in GRF-stimulated GH secretion, we examined the effect of nimodipine on GH secretion induced by several secretagogues in perifused dispersed rat anterior pituitary cells. Excess K+ (50 mM)-induced GH secretion was most effectively suppressed by nimodipine among those examined. The ID50 was between 10(-8) and 10(-7) M. One microM nimodipine suppressed 1 nM human GRF (hGRF)-induced GH secretion to 62.1% of the control and 10 microM nimodipine further suppressed it to 33.4% of the control. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP (DBcAMP)-induced GH secretion was less sensitive to inhibition by nimodipine. One mM DBcAMP-induced GH secretion was suppressed to 67.5% of the control by 10 microM nimodipine. Cs+ (20 mM), known to block K+ channels, slightly augmented basal GH secretion, but the same concentration of CS+ caused greater facilitation both in hGRF- and DBcAMP-induced GH secretion. The inhibitory effect of nimodipine was far greater in these CS(+)-augmented responses than that in normal medium. We have previously proposed that hGRF depolarized the somatotrophs in Na(+)-dependent mechanism. This depolarization may elicit the trains of action potentials which involve the activation of L-type Ca2+ channels. Blockade by nimodipine of these L-type Ca2+ channels is time- and voltage-dependent and is maximized by long depolarization. CS+ may prolong the duration of action potentials by blocking the delayed rectifier K+ channels which may provide enough time for nimodipine to block activated L-type Ca2+ channels. These results suggest that L-type Ca2+ channels play a major role in hGRF-induced GH secretion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003994:Bucladesine / Q000494:pharmacology; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002586:Cesium / Q000378:metabolism; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D009553:Nimodipine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D002586:Cesium; D009553:Nimodipine; D003994:Bucladesine; D013006:Growth Hormone; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone; D011188:Potassium