title: Permissive role of calcium in alpha 1-adrenergic stimulation of pineal phosphatidylinositol phosphodiesterase (phospholipase C) activity.
abstract: Activation of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors increases [Ca+2]i and phosphatidylinositol phosphodiesterase (phospholipase C) activity in the pinealocyte. In this report the receptor involved in the stimulation of phospholipase C activity was further characterized, and the role of Ca2+ in this effect was investigated in some detail. Phospholipase C activity was estimated by measuring the production of [3H]inositol phosphates by [3H]inositol-labelled dispersed pinealocytes in suspension culture. Norepinephrine stimulated [3H]inositol monophosphate production severalfold; this was blocked by alpha 1-adrenergic antagonists, including prazosin, WB 4101, and phenoxybenzamine, but by neither an alpha 2- nor a beta-adrenergic antagonist, confirming that an alpha 1-adrenoceptor is involved in the regulation of phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis. Treatment with the Ca2+ chelator, EGTA, or with inorganic Ca2+ blockers, including Co2+, Mn2+, and La3+, reduced the norepinephrine-stimulated response, suggesting that the alpha 1-adrenergic stimulation of phospholipase C activity is Ca2+ dependent. However, phospholipase C activity was not increased by elevating intracellular Ca2+ with either the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 or with depolarizing concentrations of K+. These results indicate that although Ca2+ is necessary for alpha 1-adrenergic stimulation of phospholipase C activity, an increase in [Ca2+]i alone is not sufficient to stimulate the activity of this enzyme, and that effects which A23187 and depolarizing concentrations of K+ have on pineal function probably do not involve stimulation of phospholipase C activity.
authors.affiliation: Section on Neuroendocrinology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chik
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Klein
mesh_terms: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D004533:Egtazic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007295:Inositol Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000502:physiology*; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D007295:Inositol Phosphates; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D004533:Egtazic Acid; D010738:Type C Phospholipases; D002118:Calcium; D009638:Norepinephrine