title: Effects of cyanide and uncouplers on chemoreceptor activity and ATP content of the cat carotid body.
abstract: In cat carotid bodies (c.b.'s) incubated in vitro with [3H]tyrosine to label the stores of catecholamines, it was found that CN promotes dose- and Ca2+-dependent release of [3H]dopamine (DA) from c.b. tissues in parallel to the increased electrical activity recorded from the carotid sinus nerve (c.s.n.). Two different uncouplers, dinitrophenol (DNP) and carbonyl-cyanide-m-chlorophenyl-hydrazone (CCCP), both activate also in a dose-dependent fashion, release of DA and electrical activity in the c.s.n. However, while cyanide (CN) (10(-4) M) applied during 5 min reduced the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content of the c.b. by 45%, DNP (2.5 x 10(-4) M) and CCCP (10(-6) M) applied for the same period of time did not modify the ATP levels of the organ. At the above concentrations, the 3 agents increased about 8-fold the electrical activity recorded from the c.s.n. Thus, contrary to the postulates of the metabolic hypotheses, our findings indicate that the decrease in the ATP content in the c.b. is not a prerequisite for the activation of the chemoreceptors. We propose alternative mechanisms to explain the chemostimulant action of the metabolic poisons.
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Valladolid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Obeso
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Almaraz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002258:Carbonyl Cyanide m-Chlorophenyl Hydrazone / Q000494:pharmacology; D002344:Carotid Body / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D002415:Cats; D002628:Chemoreceptor Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D003486:Cyanides / Q000378:metabolism*; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000378:metabolism; D004140:Dinitrophenols / Q000494:pharmacology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D010766:Phosphorylation; D014475:Uncoupling Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D003486:Cyanides; D004140:Dinitrophenols; D014475:Uncoupling Agents; D002258:Carbonyl Cyanide m-Chlorophenyl Hydrazone; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D003847:Deoxyglucose; D004298:Dopamine