title: Effects of modulating Ca2+ entry and activating prejunctional receptors on facilitation of excitatory junction potentials in the guinea-pig vas deferens in vitro.
abstract: This study investigated the effects of changing the extracellular Ca2+ concentration on facilitation of excitatory junction potential (EJP) amplitude during trains of 20 stimuli at 1 Hz at sympathetic neuroeffector junctions in the guinea-pig vas deferens. These effects were compared with those of Ca2+ channel blockers and agents which act at prejunctional receptors to increase or decrease neurotransmitter release. In these experiments, alpha-adrenoceptor-mediated autoinhibition of neurotransmitter release was blocked by the alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist, phentolamine (1 microM). Varying the extracellular Ca2+ concentration (0.75-6 mM) changed the amplitude of EJPs without affecting the maximum level of facilitation during the trains of stimuli. Reductions in Ca2+ concentration (from 2 mM) were associated with a slowing in the rate of development of facilitation. The Ca2+ channel antagonists, Cd2+ (2 microM and 5 microM) and omega-conotoxin GVIA (10 nM), and agents which act at prejunctional receptors to reduce neurotransmitter release, adenosine (100 microM and 1,000 microM) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2; 0.1 nM and 1 nM), produced similar effects to those of lowering the extracellular Ca2+ concentration. Raising the extracellular Ca2+ concentration (from 2 mM) increased the rate of development of facilitation. Angiotensin II (AII; 0.5 microM) produced similar effects to raising extracellular Ca2+. However, isoprenaline (1 microM), while increasing EJP amplitude, reduced the maximum level of facilitation and was without effect on the rate of development of facilitation. In the guinea-pig vas deferens EJPs are produced by neurally released ATP. Thus, the findings support the idea that adenosine, PGE2 and AII change ATP release by modifying Ca2+ entry into the nerve terminal. However, the effects of isoprenaline may not solely be accounted for by modifications in Ca2+ entry.
authors.affiliation: Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia. todd@student.unsw.edu.au
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Brock
mesh_terms: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D017661:Receptors, Presynaptic / Q000378:metabolism*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014649:Vas Deferens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D017661:Receptors, Presynaptic; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D000804:Angiotensin II; D007545:Isoproterenol; D002118:Calcium