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R L Perlman

Publications and source records attributed to R L Perlman.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Catecholamine uptake into isolated adrenal chromaffin cells: inhibition of uptake by acetylcholine.

We have investigated the process of catecholamine uptake in guinea-pig chromaffin cells. Isolated guinea-pig chromaffin cells accumulate [3H]norepinephrine and [3H]epinephrine by a saturable transport system. Catecholamine uptake is dependent upon temperature, energy, and extracellular Na+. The apparent KmS for norepinephrine and epinephrine transport are approximately 1 and 3.5 microM, respectively; the transport maximum (Vmax) for both compounds is about 100 pmol/min/mg protein. The uptake of norepinephrine into chromaffin cells is inhibited by imipramine (Ki = 50 nM) and by desmethylimipramine (IC50 = 20 nM). In both its substrate specificity and its sensitivity to pharmacological inhibition, the catecholamine uptake system in chromaffin cells is similar to the catecholamine transport system previously described in sympathetic neurons. Decreasing external Na+ from 130 to 19 mM increases the apparent Km for norepinephrine to 2.8 microM. Decreasing external norepinephrine increases the Na+ concentration required for half-maximal transport. Agents that depolarize chromaffin cells, such as acetylcholine and veratridine, significantly inhibit [3H]norepinephrine uptake. This decrease in uptake is due to an increase in the apparent Km for norepinephrine. The inhibition of [3H]norepinephrine uptake by depolarizing agents cannot be accounted for by the preferential release of newly-accumulated [3H]norepinephrine, or by the competitive inhibition of [3H]norepinephrine uptake by secreted catecholamines. The inhibition of catecholamine uptake by depolarizing agents suggests that the transport system may be regulated by the membrane potential. Norepinephrine and epinephrine that are spontaneously released from the adrenal medulla may be recaptured in vivo. The inhibition of transport by acetylcholine may prevent the re-uptake of catecholamine released during the physiological stimulation of secretion.

Acetylcholine↗

Acute transsynaptic regulation of tyrosine 3-monooxygenase activity in the rat superior cervical ganglion: evidence for both cholinergic and noncholinergic mechanisms.

The rate of dopa synthesis in the rat superior cervical ganglion was increased 4- to 6-fold during continuous electrical stimulation of the cervical sympathetic trunk at 10 Hz for 30 min. This increase was only partially blocked by 3 mM hexamethonium and was not significantly affected by 6 microM atropine. In the presence of both hexamethonium and atropine, nerve stimulation still produced a 2- to 4-fold increase in dopa synthesis. Physostigmine increased dopa synthesis in both control and stimulated ganglia. This effect of physostigmine was completely blocked by hexamethonium and atropine. Dopa synthesis was also significantly increased when ganglia were incubated in a medium containing an elevated concentration of K+ (55 mM). This stimulatory effect of high K+ was totally dependent on the presence of Ca2+ in the medium, was decreased by 60% by prior decentralization of the ganglion, and was unaffected by hexamethonium and atropine. The data demonstrate that tyrosine hydroxylase activity is rapidly increased after preganglionic nerve stimulation and suggest that this increase is mediated in part by acetylcholine and in part by a second (noncholinergic) transmitter. The effects of an elevated K+ concentration may be mediated both by the release of a noncholinergic transmitter from the preganglionic nerve terminals and by direct depolarization of the ganglionic neurons.

Animals↗

Adenylate cyclase activity in the superior cervical ganglion of the rat.

Adenylate cyclase activity in cell-free homogenates of the rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG) was assayed under a variety of experimental conditions. Adenylate cyclase activity was decreased by approximately one-half when 1 mM EGTA was included in the homogenization buffer and assay mixture, indicating the presence of a Ca2+-sensitive adenylate cyclase in the ganglion. In the presence of EGTA, basal adenylate cyclase activity in homogenates of the SCG was 12.9 +/- 0.6 pmol cyclic AMP/ganglion/10 min. Enzyme activity was stimulated three- to fourfold by 10 mM NaF or 10 mM MnCl2. Both GTP and its nonhydrolyzable analog guanylylimidodiphosphate (GppNHp) stimulated adenylate cyclase in a concentration-dependent manner over the range of 0.1-10.0 microM. Stimulation by GppNHp was five to six times greater than that produced by GTP at all concentrations tested. Decentralization of the ganglion had no effect on basal or stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. Receptor-linked stimulation of adenylate cyclase was not obtained with any of the following: isoproterenol, epinephrine, histamine, dopamine, prostaglandin E2, or vasoactive intestinal peptide. Thus the receptor-linked regulation of adenylate cyclase activity appears to be lost in homogenates of the ganglion.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

Glucocorticoids increase catecholamine synthesis and storage in PC12 pheochromocytoma cell cultures.

Glucocorticoids, cholera toxin, and high plating density all increase the activity of tyrosine 3-monooxygenase (TH) in cultured PC12 pheochromocytoma cells. Glucocorticoids increase enzyme activity in cells treated with cholera toxin and in cells grown at high plating density. Glucocorticoids also increase the content of stored catecholamines in the cells. In cells cultured under routine conditions, glucocorticoids primarily increase the stores of dopamine. The addition of ascorbate to the culture medium increases the storage of norepinephrine in both steroid-treated and untreated cells. Incubation of the cells in media containing 56 nM K+ causes the release of the same percentage of stored dopamine from steroid-treated as from untreated cells. Steroid-treated cells contain more dopamine than do untreated cells, and therefore, in response to high K+, the steroid-treated cells secrete more dopamine than do untreated cells. We conclude that the activity of tyrosine 3-monooxygenase in PC12 cells can be regulated by several distinct mechanisms; that glucocorticoids cause a coordinate increase in TH activity and in catecholamine storage; that steroids increase the storage of catecholamines in a releasable pool; and that the steroid-induced increase in catecholamine storage may result in increased secretion of catecholamines from steroid-treated cells.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

Estimation of the cytoplasmic catecholamine concentrations in pheochromocytoma cells.

Pheochromocytoma cells contain amine oxidase (flavin-containing), and convert dopamine and norepinephrine to deaminated metabolites. Dihydroxyphenylacetic acid is the major dopamine metabolite produced by the cells, whereas dihydroxyphenylglycol is the predominant metabolite of norepinephrine. Cells incubated under control conditions produce deaminated dopamine metabolites at a rate of about 30 pmol/min per mg protein, and dihydroxyphenylglycol at a rate of approx. 10 pmol/min per mg protein. Activation of tyrosine 3-monooxygenase increases the formation of dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, but does not greatly affect the production of dihydroxyphenylglycol. Inhibition of aromatic-L-amino-acid decarboxylase decreases the production of dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, but does not alter the production of dihydroxyphenylglycol. These results are consistent with the idea that newly synthesized dopamine represents the major source of cytoplasmic dopamine, whereas cytoplasmic norepinephrine is derived largely from catecholamine stores in secretory vesicles. The concentrations of dopamine and of norepinephrine in the cytoplasm of pheochromocytoma cells were estimated by measuring the substrate dependence of amine oxidase activity in extracts of these cells. By this method, the cytoplasmic concentrations of dopamine and of norepinephrine were estimated to be in the range of 0.5 to 1 microM. Incubation of the cells with extracellular norepinephrine or with reserpine results in an increase in the production of dihydroxyphenylglycol, and in inhibition of tyrosine 3-monoxygenase activity. Both of these effects are presumably mediated by a rise in the cytoplasmic norepinephrine concentration. Analysis of the relationship between norepinephrine metabolism and tyrosine 3-monooxygenase activity indicates that the apparent Ki of this enzyme for norepinephrine in intact cells is 10-15-times the basal cytoplasmic concentration of norepinephrine, or approx. 10 microM.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

Monensin depletes PC12 pheochromocytoma cells of catecholamines and of chromaffin-type granules.

PC12 pheochromocytoma cell store dopamine in chromaffin-type granules. The carboxylic ionophore momensin depletes the cells of dopamine and of granules PC12 cultures incubated for 30 min with 100 nM monensin lose more than 90% of their dopamine. A small fraction of the dopamine that disappears from the cells is converted to dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. The remainder is presumably converted to other, unidentified metabolites. Monensin-treated cells contain many cytoplasmic vesicles. Some of these vesicles contain amorphous, electron-dense material, which may represent the matrix of disrupted granules. There is no morphological evidence of exocytosis. Thus, monensin appears to promote the intracellular lysis of chromaffin-type granules in PC12 cells.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

Long-term effects of dexamethasone and nerve growth factor on adrenal medullary cells cultured from young adult rats.

Normal postnatal rat chromaffin cells and rat pheochromocytoma cells are known to show extensive Nerve Growth Factor (NGF)-induced process outgrowth in culture, and this outgrowth from the postnatal chromaffin cells is abolished by the corticosteroid dexamethasone. To determine whether adult rat chromaffin cells respond to NGF and dexamethasone, dissociated adrenal medullary cells from 3-month-old rats were cultured for 30 days in the presence or absence of these agents. Such cultures contained typical chromaffin cells, chromaffin cells with processes, and neurons. Fewer than 2% of normal adult chromaffin cells formed processes under any of the conditions studied, and statistically significant changes in this proportion were not detectable in the presence of NGF or dexamethasone. Adrenal medullary neurons, however, were observed only in the presence of NGF, in cultures with or without dexamethasone, and thus appear to be previously unreported NGF targets which require NGF for survival or process outgrowth. Dexamethasone markedly increased total catecholamine content, total content of epinephrine, and tyrosine hydroxylase activity in cultures with or without NGF. In contrast, postnatal rat chromaffin and rat pheochromocytoma cells which have been studied in culture do not produce epinephrine under any of these conditions. It is concluded that rat adrenal chromaffin cells undergo age-related changes in both structural and functional plasticity. The in vitro characteristics of rat pheochromocytoma cells more closely resemble those of postnatal than of adult rat chromaffin cells, but may not entirely reflect the properties of the majority of chromaffin cells in either age group.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

Monensin inhibits catecholamine synthesis in pheochromocytoma cells.

The carboxylic ionophore monensin inhibits the activity of tyrosine 3-monooxygenase and decreases the rate of catecholamine synthesis in pheochromocytoma cells incubated in vitro. The ionophore inhibits dopa production in intact pheochromocytoma cells, but does not itself inhibit tyrosine 3-monooxygenase and does not produce a stable inactivation of the enzyme as assayed in cell-free extracts of the cells. The inhibition of dopa production by monensin is dependent upon extracellular Na+, but does not require extracellular Ca++. This effect of monensin is more pronounced in the presence of pargyline. In the absence of pargyline, monensin also depletes the cells of norepinephrine and increases the accumulation of the deaminated norepinephrine metabolite, dihydroxyphenylglycol. Finally, monensin increases the release of catecholamines from isolated chromaffin granules. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that monensin causes the release of norepinephrine from chromaffin granules into the cytoplasm of pheochromocytoma cells and that the increase in cytoplasmic norepinephrine inhibits tyrosine 3-monooxygenase activity.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

Both nicotinic and muscarinic agonists acutely increase tyrosine 3-monooxygenase activity in the superior cervical ganglion.

The activity of tyrosine 3-monooxygenase in rat superior cervical ganglia in vitro was measured by monitoring their rate of dopa production. Cholinergic agonists produce a rapid and reversible increase in dopa synthesis in the ganglia. Carbachol (0.1 mM) causes a 5- to 6-fold increase in dopa synthesis. The action of carbachol is largely inhibited by the nicotinic antagonist hexamethonium (3 mM) and is completely blocked by a combination of hexamethonium and the muscarinic antagonist atropine (6 microM). Dimethylphenylpiperazinium (1 mM), a specific nicotinic agonist, produces a 4-fold increase in dopa synthesis. The action of dimethylphenylpiperazinium is blocked by hexamethonium but not by atropine. Bethanechol (1 mM), a muscarinic agonist, causes a 2-fold increase in dopa synthesis. The action of bethanechol is inhibited by atropine but not by hexamethonium. It is concluded that tyrosine 3-monooxygenase activity in rat superior cervical ganglia can be increased by both nicotinic and muscarinic stimulation, that nicotinic stimulation can produce a greater increase than can muscarinic stimulation and that carbachol increases enzyme activity by a combination of both pathways. These cholinergic mechanisms for the acute regulation of tyrosine 3-monooxygenase may be activated in vivo by acetylcholine released from preganglionic neurons and thus may play a role in the physiological regulation of catecholamine synthesis in sympathetic ganglia.

Animals↗

Permeant anions are not required for norepinephrine secretion from pheochromocytoma cells.

The 'chemiosmotic' model for secretion proposed by Pollard and his colleagues (Int. Rev. Cytol. 58, 159-197, 1979) was tested with pheochromocytoma cells. Contrary to the prediction of this model, norepinephrine secretion did not require the presence of a permeant anion in the medium. Secretion was not blocked by replacing much of the Cl- of the medium with isethionate or by replacing all of the Cl- salts of the medium with isotonic sucrose. Biochemical evidence is presented to indicate that the cells secreted by the normal exocytotic mechanism in the sucrose medium. Making the normal bathing medium hypertonic with 300 mM sucrose increased the basal level of norepinephrine release, but also suppressed secretion in response to a strong secretagogue (1 mM Ba2+). The data indicate that the Pollard model does not apply to pheochromocytoma cells, but suggest the possible involvement of osmotic pressure in exocytosis.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

Activation of tyrosine 3-monooxygenase in pheochromocytoma cells by adenosine.

Adenosine increases the activity of tyrosine 3-monooxygenase in intact pheochromocytoma cells. The effect of adenosine is not dependent upon extracellular Ca2+, and is not accompanied by an increase in catecholamine secretion from the cells. Adenosine deaminase decreases the basal activity of tyrosine 3-monooxygenase, and almost completely abolishes the activation of this enzyme by adenosine. In cells treated with adenosine deaminase, 2-chloroadenosine causes a 2- to 5-fold increase in tyrosine 3-monooxygenase activity. 2-Chloroadenosine produces half-maximal activation at a concentration of 0.1 microM, and maximal activation at 10 microM. Incubation of cells with 2-chloroadenosine produces a stable activation of tyrosine 3-monooxygenase, as measured in vitro. Finally, 3-chloroadenosine increases the content of cAMP in pheochromocytoma cells, and increases the incorporation of 3H into cAMP in cells that have been preincubated with [3H]adenine. This rise in cAMP presumably mediates the activation of tyrosine 3-monooxygenase by 2-chloroadenosine. Adenosine appears to be an endogenous regulator of tyrosine 3-monooxygenase activity in pheochromocytoma cells.

2-Chloroadenosine↗

Studies on dihydropteridine reductase activity in pheochromocytoma cells.

The activity of dihydropteridine reductase (DPR) in pheochromocytoma cells has been studied. The activity of this enzyme in crude extracts of pheochromocytoma cells is approximately 50 nmol/min/mg protein. This activity is very much greater than the activity of tyrosine 3-monooxygenase (TH) in these extracts and the rate of conversion of tyrosine to DOPA in intact pheochromocytoma cells. Incubation of the cells with 56 mM-K+ or with cholera toxin has previously been shown to increase the rate of catecholamine synthesis and to cause a stable activation of TH in the cells. These treatments do not produce a stable activation of DPR, as assayed in vitro. Methotrexate inhibits DPR activity in vitro with an I50 of approximately 20 microM, but has no effect on the rate of DOPA formation in intact pheochromocytoma cells. Therefore, DPR does not appear to be the rate-limiting enzyme in the pathway of catecholamine synthesis in pheochromocytoma cells. Moreover, the activities of DPR and of TH are not regulated coordinately in these cells.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

Tyrosine 3-monooxygenase regulates catecholamine synthesis in pheochromocytoma cells.

Incubation of pheochromocytoma cells with 56 mM K+ or with cholera toxin increases the conversion of [14C]tyrosine to [14C]catecholamines (Chalfie, M., Settipani, L., and Perlman, R. L. (1979) Mol. Pharmacol. 15, 263-270). We have now measured the tyrosine content and the rate of dihydroxyphenylalanine production in these cells. Incubation with 56 mM K+ or with cholera toxin increases the rate of dihydroxyphenylalanine production but decreases the tyrosine content of the cells. We have also measured the uptake of tyrosine into pheochromocytoma cells. The rate of tyrosine uptake is more than 1 order of magnitude greater than the rate of dihydroxyphenylalanine production. Moreover, tyrosine uptake is not affected by cholera toxin and is decreased by approximately 30% in media that contain 56 mM K+. These results provide direct evidence that tyrosine 3-monooxygenase regulates catecholamine synthesis in pheochromocytoma cells and that incubation with 56 mM K+ or with cholera toxin causes the activation of this enzyme in these cells.

Biological Transport↗

Purification of adrenal medullary chromaffin cells by density gradient centrifugation.

A method has been developed for the isolation of chromaffin cells from guinea pig adrenal glands. Crude suspensions of adrenal cells are prepared by the digestion of adrenal with collagenase. Chromaffin cells are then purified from these crude suspensions by isopycnic centrifugation through a 5-25% (w/v) gradient of metrizamide. More than 90% of the cells in the preparation are viable chromaffin cells, as judged by trypan blue exclusion and fluorescence histochemistry. A more convenient method for monitoring the purity of chromaffin cell preparations, using neutral red staining, is also described. Chromaffin cells are the primary neutral red staining cell in the adrenal gland, and more than 90% of the purified chromaffin cells stain with this dye. Purified chromaffin cells contain 400 +/- 50 nmol of epinephrine/mg protein (133 +/- 16 nmol/10(6) cells), and secrete epinephrine in response to acetylcholine. At a concentration of 100 microM, acetylcholine causes a 10- to 20-fold increase in the secretion of epinephrine from the cells. The method described in this paper is a useful procedure for the preparation of pure, functional chromaffin cells.

Adrenal Medulla↗

Mechanisms of ionophore-induced catecholamine secretion.

A number of carboxylic ionophores stimulate the secretion of norepinephrine from cell suspensions prepared from a transplantable rat pheochromocytoma. The divalent-cation ionophore ionomycin stimulates catecholamine secretion by a mechanism that is dependent upon the presence of extracellular Ca++. It is likely that ionomycin-induced catecholamine secretion results from the ionophore-mediated entry of Ca++ into the cells. The monovalent-cation ionophore monensin stimulates catecholamine secretion by a mechanism that is independent of extracellular Ca++, but is markedly dependent upon extracellular Na+. Monensin probably transports Na+ into the pheochromocytoma cells and increases the intracellular concentration of Na+ in these cells. This rise in intracellular Na+ may cause the release of Ca++ from some intracellular store. Lasalocid stimulates catecholamine secretion by a mechanism that is independent of extracellular Ca++ and is only slightly dependent upon extracellular Na+. The action of lasalocid, in contrast to the actions of ionomycin and monensin, is potentiated by decreased pH. It is likely that lasalocid enters the cells in its uncharged, protonated form. Once inside the cells, lasalocid may promote the release of intracellular Ca++. Alternatively, lasalocid and monensin may stimulate catecholamine secretion by the process which is independent of Ca++. These experiments show that ionophores can stimulate catecholamine secretion by at least three distinct ionic mechanisms.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗