title: Nitric oxide induces [Ca2+]i oscillations in pituitary GH3 cells: involvement of IDR and ERG K+ currents.
abstract: The role of nitric oxide (NO) in the occurrence of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) oscillations in pituitary GH3 cells was evaluated by studying the effect of increasing or decreasing endogenous NO synthesis with L-arginine and nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), respectively. When NO synthesis was blocked with L-NAME (1 mM) [Ca2+]i, oscillations disappeared in 68% of spontaneously active cells, whereas 41% of the quiescent cells showed [Ca2+]i oscillations in response to the NO synthase (NOS) substrate L-arginine (10 mM). This effect was reproduced by the NO donors NOC-18 and S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP). NOC-18 was ineffective in the presence of the L-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (VDCC) blocker nimodipine (1 microM) or in Ca2+-free medium. Conversely, its effect was preserved when Ca2+ release from intracellular Ca2+ stores was inhibited either with the ryanodine-receptor blocker ryanodine (500 microM) or with the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor blocker xestospongin C (3 microM). These results suggest that NO induces the appearance of [Ca2+]i oscillations by determining Ca2+ influx. Patch-clamp experiments excluded that NO acted directly on VDCC but suggested that NO determined membrane depolarization because of the inhibition of voltage-gated K+ channels. NOC-18 and SNAP caused a decrease in the amplitude of slow-inactivating (IDR) and ether-à-go-go-related gene (ERG) hyperpolarization-evoked, deactivating K+ currents. Similar results were obtained when GH3 cells were treated with L-arginine. The present study suggests that in GH3 cells, endogenous NO plays a permissive role for the occurrence of spontaneous [Ca2+]i oscillations through an inhibitory effect on IDR and on IERG.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacology, Dept. of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Federico II Univ. of Naples, via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Agnese
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Secondo
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pannaccione
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cataldi
authors.forename: Rossana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sirabella
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Formisano
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Renzo
authors.forename: Lucio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Annunziato
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000502:physiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D051638:Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D009603:Nitroso Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D026423:S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D012985:Software Design
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D051638:Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels; C093285:NOC 18; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D009603:Nitroso Compounds; D009599:Nitroprusside; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D026423:S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D011188:Potassium; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester