title: Human native Cav1 channels in chromaffin cells: contribution to exocytosis and firing of spontaneous action potentials.
abstract: The present study was performed to evaluate the Cav1 channel subtypes expressed in human chromaffin cells and the role that these channels play in exocytosis and cell excitability. Here we show that human chromaffin cells obtained from organ donors express Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 subtypes using molecular and pharmacological techniques. Immunocytochemical data demonstrated the presence of Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 subtypes, but not Cav1.1 or Cav1.4. Electrophysiological experiments were conducted to investigate the contribution of Cav1 channels to the exocytotic process and cell excitability. Cav1 channels contribute to the exocytosis of secretory vesicles, evidenced by the block of 3μM nifedipine (36.5±2%) of membrane capacitance increment elicited by 200ms depolarizing pulses. These channels show a minor contribution to the initiation of spontaneous action potential firing, as shown by the 2.5 pA of current at the threshold potential (-34mV), which elicits 10.4mV of potential increment. In addition, we found that only 8% of human chromaffin cells exhibit spontaneous action potentials. These data offer novel information regarding human chromaffin cells and the role of human native Cav1 channels in exocytosis and cell excitability.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacología y Terapéutica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hernández-Vivanco
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacología y Terapéutica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sanz-Lázaro
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacología y Terapéutica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Pompa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacología y Terapéutica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: García-Magro
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacología y Terapéutica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Carmona-Hidalgo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacología y Terapéutica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pérez-Alvarez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacología y Terapéutica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Caba-González
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Urología. Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tabernero
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Urología. Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alonso Y Gregorio
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Urología. Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Passas
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Urología. Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blázquez
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Urología. Fundación Jiménez-Díaz, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: González-Enguita
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Urología. Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Castro-Guerín
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacología y Terapéutica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: almudena.albillos@uam.es.
authors.forename: Almudena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albillos
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D051242:Caveolin 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D019439:Chromaffin Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005089:Exocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D017275:Isradipine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: C495540:CAV1 protein, human; D051242:Caveolin 1; D009543:Nifedipine; D002118:Calcium; D017275:Isradipine
keywords: Action-potential; Ca(v)1 channel; Chromaffin cell; Exocytosis; Human; Patch-clamp