title: Regulation of carrier-mediated and exocytotic release of [3H]GABA in rat brain synaptosomes.
abstract: In this study we investigated the role of external monovalent cations, and of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in polarized and depolarized rat cerebral cortex synaptosomes on the release of [3H]-gamma-aminobutyric acid (3H-GABA). We found that potassium-depolarization, in the absence of Ca2+, of synaptosomes loaded with 3H-GABA releases 7.4 +/- 2.1% of the accumulated neurotransmitter, provided that the external medium contains Na+, and an additional 19.0 +/- 2.5% is released upon adding 1.0 mM CaCl2 to the exterior. The Ca(2+)-independent release component does not occur in a choline medium and it is only 3.4 +/- 0.8% of the 3H-GABA accumulated in a Li+ medium, but both ions support the Ca(2+)-dependent release of 3H-GABA (13.4 +/- 0.6% in choline and 15.4 +/- 1.5% in Li+), which suggests that the exocytotic release is independent of the external monovalent cation present, whereas the carrier-mediated release specifically requires Na+ outside. Furthermore, previous release of the cytosolic 3H-GABA due to predepolarization in the absence of Ca2+ does not influence the amount of 3H-GABA subsequently released by exocytosis due to Ca2+ addition (19.1 +/- 2.5% or 19.1 +/- 1.1%, respectively). In choline or Li+ medium, the value of the [Ca2+]i is raised by Na+/Ca2+ exchange to 663 +/- 75 nM or 782 +/- 54 nM, respectively, within three minutes after adding 1.0 mM Ca2+, in the absence of depolarization, and parallel release experiments show no release of 3H-GABA in the choline medium, but a substantial release (7.1 +/- 2.1%) of 3H-GABA occurs in the Li+ medium without depolarization. Subsequent K(+)-depolarization shows normal Ca(2+)-dependent release of 3H-GABA in the choline medium (14.1 +/- 2.0%) but only 8.6 +/- 1.1% release in the Li+ medium, which suggests that raising the [Ca2+]i by Na+/Ca2+ exchange, without depolarization, supports some exocytotic release in Li+, but not in choline media. The role of [Ca2+]i and of membrane depolarization in the release process is discussed on the basis of the results obtained and other relevant observations which suggest that both Ca2+ and depolarization are essential for optimal exocytotic release of GABA.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bandeira-Duarte
authors.forename: I L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002414:Cations, Monovalent; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005089:Exocytosis; D007700:Kinetics; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D013574:Synaptosomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D014316:Tritium; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002414:Cations, Monovalent; D014316:Tritium; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium