title: Inhibition by nitric oxide of Ca(2+) responses in rat pancreatic alpha-cells.
abstract: This study examined the effect of nitric oxide (NO) on the cytosolic free Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](c)) of alpha-cells isolated from rat pancreatic islets. When extracellular glucose was reduced from 7 to 0 mM, about half of the alpha-cells displayed [Ca(2+)](c) oscillations. Nicardipine, a Ca(2+) channel blocker, terminated the oscillations, while thapsigargine, an inhibitor of Ca(2+)-ATPase on the endoplasmic reticulum, did not affect them, suggesting that the [Ca(2+)](c) oscillations were produced by periodic Ca(2+) influx via L-type voltage-operated Ca(2+) channels. NOC 7, an NO donor, did not cause any changes in [Ca(2+)](c) at 7 mM glucose, but reduced [Ca(2+)](c) or terminated [Ca(2+)](c) oscillations at 0 or 2.8 mM glucose. A similar inhibitory effect on [Ca(2+)](c) of alpha-cells was caused by 8-bromo-cGMP. When the [Ca(2+)](c) of alpha-cells was elevated by L-arginine in the presence of N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine, an NO synthase inhibitor, the subsequent application of NOC 7 and 8-bromo-cGMP reduced [Ca(2+)](c). As there is a direct relationship between [Ca(2+)](c) and glucagon release, these results suggest that the NO-cGMP system in rat pancreatic islets reduces glucagon release by suppressing [Ca(2+)](c) responses in alpha-cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Shizuoka-City, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sugino
authors.forename: Tomohisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakada
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakayama
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D002469:Cell Separation; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D016257:Fura-2; D006834:Hydrazines / Q000494:pharmacology; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D019335:Nitroarginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: C115239:3-(2-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-nitrosohydrazino)-N-methyl-1-propanamine; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006834:Hydrazines; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D019335:Nitroarginine; C016276:8-bromocyclic GMP; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D002118:Calcium; D016257:Fura-2