title: Effects of osmotic shrinkage on voltage-gated Ca2+ channel currents in rat anterior pituitary cells.
abstract: Increased extracellular osmolarity ([Os]e) suppresses stimulated hormone secretion from anterior pituitary cells. Ca2+ influx may mediate this effect. We show that increase in [Os]e (by 18-125%) differentially suppresses L-type and T-type Ca2+ channel currents (IL and IT, respectively); IL was more sensitive than IT. Hyperosmotic suppression of IL depended on the magnitude of increase in [Os]e and was correlated with the percent decrease in pituitary cell volume, suggesting that pituitary cell shrinkage can modulate L-type currents. The hyperosmotic suppression of IL and IT persisted after incubation of pituitary cells either with the actin-disrupter cytochalasin D or with the actin stabilizer phalloidin, suggesting that the actin cytoskeleton is not involved in this modulation. The hyperosmotic suppression of Ca2+ influx was not correlated with changes in reversal potential, membrane capacitance, and access resistance. Together, these results suggest that the hyperosmotic suppression of Ca2+ influx involves Ca2+ channel proteins. We therefore recorded the activity of L-type Ca2+ channels from cell-attached patches while exposing the cell outside the patch pipette to hyperosmotic media. Increased [Os]e reduced the activity of Ca2+ channels but did not change single-channel conductance. This hyperosmotic suppression of Ca2+ currents may therefore contribute to the previously reported hyperosmotic suppression of hormone secretion.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Hebrew Univ. Medical School, PO Box 12272, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
authors.forename: Shlomo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ben-Tabou De-Leon
authors.forename: Galia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ben-Zeev
authors.forename: Itzhak
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nussinovitch
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000502:physiology*; D017097:Electric Impedance; D006982:Hypertonic Solutions / Q000494:pharmacology; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000502:physiology; D007552:Isotonic Solutions / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D006982:Hypertonic Solutions; D007552:Isotonic Solutions