title: Residual Ca2+ channel current modulation by megestrol acetate via a G-protein alpha s-subunit in rat hypothalamic neurones.
abstract: 1. The inhibition of voltage-activated Ca2+ channel currents by the orally active progesterone derivative, megestrol acetate (MA), was examined in freshly dissociated rat ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMN) neurones using the whole-cell voltage-clamp technique with 10 mM Ba2+ as the charge carrier. 2. The steady-state inhibition of the peak high-threshold Ca2+ channel current evoked by depolarization from -80 to -10 mV by MA increased in a concentration-dependent fashion. MA inhibited a fraction of the whole-cell Ca2+ channel current while progesterone had no effect on the peak Ca2+ channel current (7% at 10 microM). The low-threshold Ca2+ (T-type) current, evoked from -100 to -30 mV, was unaffected by MA. 3. Intracellular dialysis with MA had no effect on the Ca2+ channel current. Concomitant extracellular perfusion of MA showed normal inhibitory activity, suggesting that the MA binding site can only be accessed extracellularly. 4. The high-threshold Ca2+ channel current in VMN neurones was found to consist of four pharmacologically distinguishable components: an N-type current, an L-type current, a P-type current, and a residual current. MA had no effect on the N-, L- and P-type Ca2+ channel currents, but inhibited the residual current. 5. In neurones isolated from cholera toxin-treated animals, the MA-induced inhibition of the Ca2+ channel current was significantly diminished, suggesting a G-protein alpha S-subunit involvement. 6. Treatment with antisense phosphothio-oligodeoxynucleotides to the G alpha S-subunit (antisense-G alpha S) significantly reduced the MA-induced inhibition of the Ca2+ channel current. Treatment with either sense-G alpha S or antisense-G alpha 11 had no effect, confirming a G alpha S-subunit involvement. 7. These results suggest that appetite enhancement induced by MA in cachectic patients may in part be due to a novel central nervous system action, that is, inhibition of a fraction of the whole-cell Ca2+ channel current to attenuate the firing of VMN neurones that may be involved in satiety mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, Zeneca Inc., Wilmington, DE 19850-5437, USA.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Spence
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Plata-Salamán
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: ffrench-Mullen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000187:drug effects*; D008535:Megestrol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D019290:Megestrol Acetate; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D014697:Ventromedial Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D008535:Megestrol; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D019290:Megestrol Acetate