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N Kirshner

Publications and source records attributed to N Kirshner.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

Calcium uptake and catecholamine secretion by cultured bovine adrenal medulla cells.

The uptake of 45Ca2+ and secretion of catecholamines by primary cultures of adrenal medulla cells were studied. Nicotine, veratridine, potassium, and Ionomycin stimulate both the accumulation of 45Ca2+ and the secretion of catecholamines. Nicotinic antagonists block 45Ca2+ uptake induced by nicotine, tetrodotoxin blocks 45Ca2+ uptake induced by veratridine, and D600 or secretion induced by Ionomycin. The EC50 for nicotine is 3 microM for catecholamine secretion and 10 microM for 45Ca2+ uptake, while the EC50s for veratridine-stimulated uptake and secretion are approximately the same (75 microM). Kinetic studies show that the uptake of Ca2+ is rapid and appears to precede the secretion of catecholamines, and that the rate of uptake declines rapidly. The 50 mM-K+ show saturation kinetics with respect to external calcium concentrations at about 2 mM. On the other hand, the uptake of 45Ca2+ stimulated by nicotine does not become saturated at external calcium concentrations of 10 mM although the secretion of catecholamines reaches a maximum at external calcium concentrations of 2 mM. The data suggest that depolarizing agents such as veratridine and 50 mM-K+ stimulate 45Ca2+ entry through voltage-sensitive calcium channels, while nicotinic agonists stimulate calcium entry through the acetylcholine receptor ion channels as well as through voltage-sensitive calcium channels.

Adrenal Medulla↗
PubMed1981

Phosphorylation of adrenal medulla cell proteins in conjunction with stimulation of catecholamine secretion.

Enhanced phosphorylation of two specific protein bands accompanied catecholamine secretion from cultured bovine adrenal medulla cells stimulated by different secretagogues. Cells preincubated with 32Pi were treated with nicotine, veratridine, Ionomycin, or barium. Each of these secretagogues stimulated the phosphorylation of two protein bands with apparent molecular weights of 60,000 and 95,000. Phosphorylation of the 60,000 M. W. protein band was two- to threefold higher than that of the 95,000 M. W. band on stimulation with nicotine, veratridine, or barium, but Ionomycin stimulated phosphorylation of each protein band to the same extent. In general, the increase in phosphorylation was most rapid during the first minute of stimulation and occurred prior to detectable secretion. Phosphorylation reached a relatively constant level within 5 min after onset of stimulation at a time when catecholamine release was still proceeding at a rapid rate. Nicotine-stimulated phosphorylation and catecholamine secretion were calcium-dependent and blocked by d-tubocurarine, whereas tetrodotoxin inhibited veratridine-stimulated secretion and phosphorylation. We conclude that catecholamine secretion and protein phosphorylation occur under similar conditions and that Ca2+-dependent incorporation of phosphate into specific proteins may be a link in stimulus-secretion coupling.

Adrenal Medulla↗
PubMed1981

Ion channels and membrane potential in stimulus-secretion coupling in adrenal medulla cells.

The role of Na+ channels and membrane potential in stimulus secretion coupling in adrenal medulla cell cultures was investigated. Veratridine, aconitine, batrachotoxin (BTX), and scorpion venom, which increase the flux of ions through tetrodotoxin(TTX)-sensitive Na+ channels, all evoke secretion of catecholamines that is blocked by TTX. TTX partially inhibits secretion induced by low concentrations of nicotine in Locke's solution but has no effect on high concentrations of nicotine (20 microM). In Ca2+-sucrose media TTX has no effect on secretion at either high or low concentrations of nicotine. Replacement of Na+ with Li+ in Locke's solution reduces the response to nicotine and to veratridine. Complete replacement of Na+ with hydrazine, diethanolamine, TRIS, and choline completely inhibits the response to nicotine and almost completely inhibits the response to veratridine. Following exposure of cells to 50 mM-100 mM-K+, nicotine does not stimulate catecholamine secretion unless the cells are resuspended in media containing less than 50 mM-K+. Neither dibutyryl-cyclic AMP nor dibutyryl-cyclic GMP evokes secretion. alpha-Bungarotoxin (1 microM) did not inhibit nicotine-induced secretion. These studies indicate that Na+ channels and acetylcholine (ACh) receptor ion channels are independently coupled to the influx of Ca2+. The membrane potential appears to affect nicotine- and veratridine-evoked secretion.

Adrenal Medulla↗
PubMed1981

Inhibition of catecholamine secretion from adrenal medulla cells by neurotoxins and cholinergic antagonists.

The effects of several neurotoxins and cholinergic antagonists on the nicotine-induced secretion of catecholamines by adrenal medulla cells in culture were investigated. Aconitine, veratridine, and batrachotoxin, in the presence of 1 micrometer-tetrodotoxin inhibited the nicotine-stimulated secretion of catecholamines in a dose-dependent manner in Locke's solution. In Na+-free sucrose medium, tetrodotoxin was not required to inhibit the stimulatory effects of aconitine, veratridine, and batrachotoxin, and these agents by themselves inhibited the nicotine-stimulated secretion of catecholamines. Scorpion venom, which also increases the flux of Na+ through tetrodotoxin-sensitive channels, was not an effective inhibitor of nicotine-stimulated secretion. Histrionicotoxin, atropine, hexamethonium, and decamethonium--as well as the Na+-channel activators--noncompetitively inhibit nicotine-stimulated secretion. The effects of these agents on nicotine-stimulated secretion appears similar to their effects on the inhibition of depolarization at the neuromuscular junction. Reversibility studies suggest that the stimulatory and inhibitor sites of the neurotoxins are different, while studies in Na+-free media suggest that tetrodotoxin-insensitive sodium channels are not involved in the inhibitory effect of the neurotoxins. A possible site of action for the inhibitory effects of the neurotoxins. A possible site of action for the inhibitory effects of the neurotoxins is the nicotinic-receptor-associated ion channel.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1980

Stability of bovine adrenal medulla cells in culture.

The functional stability of primary cultures of adrenal medulla cells was investigated. Isolated cells were prepared by treatment of bovine adrenal glands with collagenase followed by purification on Percoll density gradients and were maintained in Dulbecco's medium containing 10% fetal calf serum. Within 12 h after plating on plastic culture dishes, the cells became firmly attached and exhibited good survival for periods of time up to 3 weeks, as indicated by their morphology using light and electron microscopy, by maintenance of their content of catecholamines, tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine-beta-hydroxylase, and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase, and their ability to respond to secretagogues. During the first 10 days to 2 weeks in culture there was little or no change in any of these parameters. During the 3rd week there were progressive losses of catecholamine and enzyme activities and increased vacuolization of medullary cells. The cells synthesized protein and RNA with no apparent loss in activities over the period studied, but did not incorporate [3H]thymidine into PCA-precipitable material. The cells responded to secretagogues and secretory antagonists similarly to isolated perfused adrenal glands. The studies described here demonstrate that primary cultures of adrenal medulla cells provide an excellent experimental system for obtaining more detailed information on stimulus-secretion coupling and other functional aspects of the adrenal medulla.

Adrenal Medulla↗
PubMed1978

Synthesis of chromogranins and dopamine beta-hydroxylase by perfused bovine adrenal glands.

The incorporation of [3H]leucine into chromogranins and into soluble and membrane-bound dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) was studied in isolated perfused adrenal glands. [3H]chromogranins and [3H]DBH were quantitatively determined by immunoprecipitation. The amounts of soluble [3H]DBH formed were about equal to the amounts of membrane-bound [3H]DBH whereas the amounts of [3H]chromogranin were 5- to 20-fold greater than that of soluble [3H]DBH. On continuous sucrose density gradients, [3H]chromogranin was unimodally distributed after 2- to 20-h chase periods and accumulated in a vesicle having a lower buoyant density than mature chromaffin vesicles. At 2 h both membrane and soluble [3H]DBH were both bimodally distributed whereas after a 20-h chase period the distribution of soluble and membrane [3H]DBH was essentially unimodal and paralleled the distribution of [3H]chromogranin. These studies indicate that [3H]chromogranin, soluble [3H]DBH, and membrane [3H]DBH are synthesized concomitantly, but that each is transported into chromaffin vesicles at different rates.

Adrenal Glands↗
PubMed1975

Non-parallel transport of membrane proteins and content proteins during assembly of the secretory granule in rat parotid gland.

The insertion of newly synthesized protein molecules into the membrane of the secretory granule of the rat parotid gland was studied by in vivo labeling with [3-H]-proline and [3-H]leucine. 2 h after the injection of the amino acid into the rat, the membrane fraction isolated from the secretory granules was found to be highly labeled with proline but only slightly labeled with leucine. The ratio of proline label in the granule membrane to that in the granule's secretory content was roughly equivalent to the ratio of total proline in the proteins of these two fractions. In contrast the ratio of leucine label in the membrane to that in the secretory content was much less than would be expected from the relative amount of leucine in both fractions. Separation of the proteins of the granule membrane by gel electrophoresis in presence of sodium dodecylsulfate showed that a considerable amount of these proteins was unlabeled. The labeled proteins could be selectively extracted from the membrane by 0.15 M Nacl solution or by dilute buffer at pH 4.5. These extracted proteins were found to contain a high proportion of proline residues and a negligible amount of leucine residues. In the extract proline constituted 36 mole % of the total amino acids. Proline plus glycine plus glutamic acid constituted more than 80 mole % and leucine constituted about 1 mole% of the total amino acids. Further analyses by gel electrophoresis in presence of sodium dodecylsulfate showed that the fractions of secretory granule membrane and secretory granule content are relatively free of contamination by proteins from other subcellular structures. It is suggested that the proteins which will constitute the mature secretory granule are transported to the site of final assembly by two pathways. The proline-rich proteins are transported to the site of assembly in close coordination with all the exportable proteins. The other membrane proteins arrive by a different pathway. Two alternative mechanisms are suggested to explain the finding that a considerable part of the membrane proteins are not labeled. I. The pathway of the intracellular transport of the unlabeled membrane proteins is similar to that of the secretory proteins but the newly synthesized membrane protein molecules are diluted in a large intermediate pool--the GOLgi complex. II. The proteins that did not get labeled are derived by a process of reutilization, from membranes of granules which have previously discharged their content in the process of secretion.

Amino Acids↗