title: Orexin-B augments voltage-gated L-type Ca(2+) current via protein kinase C-mediated signalling pathway in ovine somatotropes.
abstract: Orexins, orexigenic neuropeptides, are secreted from lateral hypothalamus and orexin receptors are expressed in the pituitary. Since growth hormone (GH) secreted from pituitary is integrally linked to energy homeostasis and metabolism, we studied the effect of orexin-B on voltage-gated Ca(2+) currents and the related signalling mechanisms in primary cultured ovine somatotropes using whole-cell patch-clamp techniques. With a bath solution containing TEA-Cl (40 mM) and Tetrodotoxin (TTX) (1 microM), three subtypes of Ca(2+) currents, namely the long-lasting (L), transient (T), and N currents, were isolated using different holding potentials (-80 and -30 mV) in combination with specific Ca(2+) channel blockers (nifedipine and omega-conotoxin). About 75% of the total current amplitude was contributed by the L current, whereas the N and T currents accounted for the rest. Orexin-B (1-100 nM) dose-dependently and reversibly increased only the L current up to approximately 125% of the control value within 4-5 min. Neither a specific protein kinase A (PKA) blocker (H89, 1 microM) nor an inhibitory peptide (PKI, 10 microM) had any effect on the increase in L current by orexin-B. The orexin-B-induced increase in the L current was abolished by concurrent treatment with calphostin C (Cal-C, 100 nM), protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitory peptide (PKC(19-36), 1 microM), or by pretreatment with phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) (0.5 microM) for 16 h (a downregulator of PKC). Orexin-B also increased in vitro GH secretion in a dose-dependent manner. We conclude that orexin-B increases the L-type Ca(2+) current and GH secretion through orexin receptors and PKC-mediated signalling pathways in ovine somatotropes.
authors.affiliation: Prince Henry's Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, Vic, Australia.
authors.forename: Ruwei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Sang-Gun
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Roh
authors.forename: Changhong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ueta
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000068797:Orexins; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D000068797:Orexins; D013006:Growth Hormone; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D009543:Nifedipine