title: Characterization of ATP release from cultures enriched in cholinergic amacrine-like neurons.
abstract: Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) has been proposed to play a role as a neurotransmitter in the retina, but not much attention has been given to the regulation of ATP release from retinal neurons. In this work, we investigated the release of ATP from cultures enriched in amacrine-like neurons. Depolarization of the cells with KCl, or activation of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy- 5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate (AMPA) receptors, evoked the release of ATP, as determined by the luciferin/luciferase luminescent method. The ATP release was found to be largely Ca(2+) dependent and sensitive to the botulinum neurotoxin A, which indicates that the ATP released by cultured retinal neurons originated from an exocytotic pool. Nitrendipine and omega-Agatoxin IVA, but not by omega-Conotoxin GVIA, partially blocked the release of ATP, indicating that in these cells, the Ca(2+) influx necessary to trigger the release of ATP occurs in part through the L- and the P/Q types of voltage-sensitive Ca(2+) channels (VSCC), but not through N-type VSCC. The release of ATP increased in the presence of adenosine deaminase, or in the presence of 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPCPX), an adenosine A(1) receptor antagonist, showing that the release is tonically inhibited by the adenosine A(1) receptors. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing the release of endogenous ATP from a retinal preparation.
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuroscience of Coimbra, Department of Zoology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: O L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Caramelo
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Duarte
mesh_terms: D000241:Adenosine / Q000502:physiology*; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D018047:Receptors, Purinergic P1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018047:Receptors, Purinergic P1; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D000241:Adenosine; D002118:Calcium