BAY-K-8644-stimulated amylase secretion from pancreatic acinar cells

Pancreatic acinar cells do not contain depolarization-sensitive calcium channels. Nonetheless, in the current study, the calcium channel activator, BAY-K-8644, was found to stimulate a time- and concentration-dependent increase in the spontaneous release of amylase. Secretion was dependent on the presence of extracellular calcium in the incubation medium. Racemic BAY-K-8644 and (or) its S(-)optical isomer did not enhance the secretory response to either carbachol or cholecystokinin octapeptide; however, when co-applied with either phorbol ester, vasoactive intestinal peptide, or forskolin, they potentiated amylase secretion. Nifedipine and the R(+)isomer of BAY-K-8644, which are both calcium channel antagonists, did not alter basal or forskolin-stimulated amylase secretion, and [3H]nitrendipine did not bind to acinar cell membranes. Neither atropine nor dibutyryl cGMP, inhibitors of cholinergic and cholecystokininergic receptors, respectively, affected BAY-K-8644-induced amylase secretion. While BAY-K-8644 stimulated concentration-dependent cGMP synthesis in acinar cells, it had no effect on basal or forskolin-stimulated cAMP formation. The data suggest that BAY-K-8644 may bind to acinar cell sites that are not functional calcium channel proteins but are coupled nevertheless to the secretory response, and that calcium channel antagonists do not bind to these sites. The mechanism of the secretagogue action of BAY-K-8644 remains to be elucidated.     

BAY-K-8644, a calcium channel agonist, induces a rise in cytoplasmic free calcium and iodide discharge in thyroid cells

BAY-K-8644, a calcium channel agonist, induces a rise in cytoplasmic free calcium and iodide discharge in cultured porcine thyroid cells. The cytoplasmic free calcium concentration, [Ca2+]i, was measured using aequorin, a calcium-sensitive photoprotein. BAY-K-8644, a dihydropyridine derivative, acts as a Ca channel agonist and induces a rise in [Ca2+]i and iodide discharge; 0.5 nM BAY-K-8644 is a minimal dose to effect a rise in [Ca2+]i and iodide discharge and 50 nM BAY-K-8644 produces the maximal effect. The data indicate that BAY-K-8644-induced iodide discharge is mediated by a rise in [Ca2+]i.     

Opposing actions of the enantiomers of BAY-K-8644 on calcium currents and ACTH secretion in clonal pituitary corticotrophs

BAY-K-8644 in low concentrations is known to stimulate, and in higher concentrations, to depress calcium-dependent ACTH secretion from mouse clonal (tumor) pituitary corticotrophs, AtT-20/D16-16 (AtT-20). In the present study, voltage-dependent inward calcium currents in these cells were potentiated by low concentrations of this compound and depressed by higher concentrations consistent with its actions on ACTH secretion. A similar relationship was demonstrated for a different but related compound, CGP 28,392. Each of BAY-K-8644's enantiomers, BAY-R(-)5417 and BAY-R(+)4407, had opposing effects upon these inward calcium currents and ACTH secretion. The (+)isomer antagonized both inward calcium currents and ACTH secretion. In contrast, the (-)enantiomer was responsible for the stimulatory effects of BAY-K-8644. Nevertheless, some antagonistic properties were noted with high concentrations of this latter enantiomer. The stimulation of ACTH secretion in AtT-20 cells by low concentrations of BAY-K-8644 can be attributed to a potentiation of voltage-activated calcium currents by one of its enantiomers, BAY-R-(-)5417. In contrast, the depression of secretion that occurs at higher concentrations is likely to be the result of the reduction of these currents by the other enantiomer (BAY-R(+)4407).     

Generation of H2O2 is regulated by cytoplasmic free calcium in cultured porcine thyroid cells

Effects of calcium ionophore A23187 and BAY-K-8644, a calcium channel agonist, on cytoplasmic free calcium ([Ca2+]i) and H2O2 generation were studied in cultured porcine thyroid cells. We monitored continuously the effects of A23187 and BAY-K-8644 on [Ca2+]i and H2O2 generation, using the intracellularly trapped fluorescent Ca2+ indicator, fura-2, and homovanillic acid, respectively. A23187 and BAY-K-8644 induce an immediate increase in [Ca2+]i and H2O2 generation. The A23187- and BAY-K-8644-induced [Ca2+]i responses and H2O2 generation occur immediately, reach a maximum within several seconds, and then slowly decline. The minimum doses of A23187 or BAY-K-8644 to increase [Ca2+]i stimulate H2O2 generation. H2O2 generation is regulated by [Ca2+]i.     

Heterogeneity of calcium channel agonist binding sites in the coronary artery

The binding properties (3H) BAY k 8644 a 1,4-dihydropyridine calcium channel agonist were studied in the subcellular membrane fraction isolated from the coronary artery by differential centrifugation. The specific binding of (3H) BAY k 8644 to microsomal membranes of the coronary smooth muscle was rapid, saturable, reversible and of both high and low affinity. The dissociation constants obtained from Scatchard analysis with (3H) BAY k 8644 and nitrendipine were 0.60 +/- 0.02 nmol.l-1 and 9.1 +/- 0.1 nmol.l-1 for the high and low affinity binding site respectively and the estimated maximal numbers of binding sites in the plasma membrane fraction were 0.76 +/- 0.02 and 3.15 +/- 0.18 pmol.mg-1 of protein respectively. The substituted dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonists nitrendipine and nifedipine competitively inhibited specific (3H)BAY k 8644 binding suggesting a common high affinity 1,4-dihydropyridine binding site in the coronary microsomal fraction for calcium channel activator and antagonists. The low affinity agonist binding sites were significantly inhibited by adding nucleoside carrier inhibitors, 2-deoxyadenosine and dipyridamole, and by -SH alkylating agent N-ethylmaleimide. The results suggests that the coronary artery contains both high and low affinity calcium channel binding sites (in a 1:5 ratio) with the low affinity calcium channel agonist binding sites being associated with nucleoside carrier and/or with-SH groups.     

Modulation of depolarization stimulated 45Ca2+ uptake in cultured neuronal cells by calcium channel activators and antagonists

The effect of dihydropyridine calcium agonists and antagonists on 45Ca2+ uptake into primary neuronal cell cultures was investigated. K+ stimulated neuronal 45Ca2+ accumulation in a concentration dependent manner. This effect was further enhanced by the calcium agonists Bay K 8644 and (+)-(S)-202-791 with EC50 values of 21 nM and 67 nM respectively. The calcium antagonists PN 200-110 and (-)-(R)-202-791 inhibited Bay K 8644 (1 microM) stimulated uptake with IC50 values of 20 nM and 130 nM respectively. 45Ca2+ efflux from neuronal cells was measured in the presence and absence of Na+. Efflux occurred at a much greater rate from cells incubated in the presence of Na+, indicating the existence of an active Na+/Ca2+ exchanger in these neurons. The data suggests that voltage sensitive calcium channels of these neurons are sensitive to dihydropyridines and thus that dihydropyridine binding sites have a functional role in these neuronal cultures.     

Stimulation of Calcium Uptake in PC12 Cells by the Dihydropyridine Agonist BAY K 8644

Abstract: Methyl 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-3-nitro-4-(2-trifluoromethylphenyl)-pyridine-5-carboxylate (BAY K 8644), an analog of dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonists, stimulated ⁴⁵Ca uptake into PC12 pheochromocytoma cells. Half-maximal stimulation occurred at 80 n M BAY K 8644. Enhancement of uptake was inhibited by cationic and organic calcium channel blockers, but not by tetrodotoxin, which is consistent with an effect on voltage-dependent calcium channels. Stimulation of ⁴⁵Ca uptake by BAY K 8644 occurred only at elevated concentrations of extracellular K⁺, suggesting that BAY K 8644 may interact with calcium channels in the open (activated) state.     

Dihydropyridine Modulation of Voltage-Activated Calcium Channels in PC12 Cells: Effect of Pertussis Toxin Pretreatment

In this study, we report the effect of pertussis toxin pretreatment on dihydropyridine modulation of voltage-sensitive calcium channels in PC12 cells. The rise in intracellular calcium concentration caused by potassium depolarization is not affected significantly by pertussis toxin pretreatment. Nicardipine, a dihydropyridine derivative, added either before or after potassium-induced depolarization, reduces the resultant elevation in cytosolic calcium level both in control and in pertussis toxin-treated cells. The dihydropyridine agonist Bay K 8644, when added before potassium, is able to enhance the potassium-induced spike of cytosolic calcium levels, an effect significantly reduced by pertussis toxin pretreatment. Moreover, the addition of Bay K 8644 after potassium holds the intracellular calcium concentration at a cytosolic sustained level during the slow inactivating phase of depolarization. This effect of Bay K 8644 is inhibited by nicardipine. Pertussis toxin pretreatment slightly weakens the effect of Bay K 8644 when added after potassium-induced depolarization, whereas it significantly reduces the nicardipine inhibition of cytosolic calcium rise stimulated by potassium and Bay K 8644, but not by potassium alone. In conclusion, our findings suggest that a pertussis toxin-sensitive guanine nucleotide regulatory protein could be involved in the interaction between dihydropyridine derivatives and voltage-dependent calcium channels.     

Kinetics of binding of dihydropyridine calcium channel ligands to skeletal muscle membranes: evidence for low-affinity sites and for the involvement of G proteins.

Detailed kinetic studies of the binding of the calcium channel antagonist (+)-[3H]PN200-110 to membrane preparations from rabbit skeletal muscle have demonstrated that, in addition to the high-affinity sites (Kd = 0.30 +/- 0.05 nM) that are readily measured in equilibrium and kinetic experiments, there are also dihydropyridine binding sites with much lower affinities. These sites were detected by the ability of micromolar concentrations of several dihydropyridines to accelerate the rate of dissociation of (+)-[3H]-PN200-110 from its high-affinity sites. The observed increase in rate was dependent on the concentration of competing ligand, and half-maximal effects occurred at approximately 10 microM for the agonist (+/-)-Bay K8644 and for the antagonists nifedipine, (+/-)-nitrendipine, and (+)-PN200-110. The low-affinity sites appear to be stereospecific since (-)-PN200-110 (1-200 microM) did not affect the dissociation rate. The possible involvement of guanine nucleotide binding proteins in dihydropyridine binding has been investigated by studying the effects of guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S) and guanosine 5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) (GDP beta S) on binding parameters. At a concentration of 10 microM, neither GTP gamma S nor GDP beta S significantly affected the binding of dihydropyridines to their high-affinity sites. GTP gamma S did, however, increase the ability of (+/-)-Bay K8644, but not of (+/-)-nitrendipine, to accelerate the rate of dissociation of tightly bound (+)-[3H]PN200-110. GDP beta S did not affect the dose dependence of either the agonist or the antagonist.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Alterations in dihydropyridine receptors in dystrophin-deficient cardiac muscle

The deficiency of dystrophin, a critical membrane stabilizing protein, in the mdx mouse causes an elevation in intracellular calcium in myocytes. One mechanism that could elicit increases in intracellular calcium is enhanced influx via the L-type calcium channels. This study investigated the effects of the dihydropyridines BAY K 8644 and nifedipine and alterations in dihydropyridine receptors in dystrophin-deficient mdx hearts. A lower force of contraction and a reduced potency of extracellular calcium (P < 0.05) were evident in mdx left atria. The dihydropyridine agonist BAY K 8644 and antagonist nifedipine had 2.7- and 1.9-fold lower potencies in contracting left atria (P < 0.05). This corresponded with a 2.0-fold reduction in dihydropyridine receptor affinity evident from radioligand binding studies of mdx ventricular homogenates (P < 0.05). Increased ventricular dihydropyridine receptor protein was evident from both radioligand binding studies and Western blot analysis and was accompanied by increased mRNA levels (P < 0.05). Patch-clamp studies in isolated ventricular myocytes showed no change in L-type calcium current density but revealed delayed channel inactivation (P < 0.05). This study indicates that a deficiency of dystrophin leads to changes in dihydropyridine receptors and L-type calcium channel properties that may contribute to enhanced calcium influx. Increased influx is a potential mechanism for the calcium overload observed in dystrophin-deficient cardiac muscle.     

Dual mechanisms of inhibition by dopamine of basal and thyrotropin-releasing hormone-stimulated inositol phosphate production in anterior pituitary cells. Evidence for an inhibition not mediated by voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels.

In primary cultures of anterior pituitary cells, dopamine inhibited basal and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)-stimulated inositol monophosphate, bisphosphate, and trisphosphate production. This inhibition by dopamine can be resolved into two distinct components. One of the components was rapid and already present after 10 s. The other was slower, starting after 1 min, and was mimicked by nimodipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonist. The effects of dopamine and nimodipine were not additive on both basal and TRH-stimulated inositol phosphate production. Furthermore, the dopamine inhibition in the presence of TRH was much higher than the inhibition induced by nimodipine. It is thus likely that calcium entry through voltage-dependent calcium channels triggers a positive feedback on TRH stimulation of phospholipase C. However, depolarizing concentrations of K+ or BAY-K-8644, a voltage-dependent calcium channel agonist, had no effect on inositol monophosphate and bisphosphate accumulation. Ionomycin, even at a very high concentration (10 microM), had only a slight and transient effect on inositol phosphate formation. In addition, these agents did not affect the TRH dose-dependent stimulation of inositol phosphate production. These results suggest that the intracellular calcium concentrations that we measured under basal and TRH-stimulated conditions are sufficient to allow the maximal activity of phospholipase C which can be obtained under these two experimental conditions. In contrast, any decrease in the intracellular calcium concentration by a dihydropyridine antagonist, suppression of extracellular calcium, or inactivation of a voltage-dependent calcium channel by long term depolarization with K+ decreased the phospholipase C activities measured under basal and TRH-stimulated conditions. From these data it can be concluded that dopamine inhibits inositol phosphate production by two distinct mechanisms. The slow dopamine-induced inhibition of TRH-stimulated inositol phosphate production which is mimicked by nimodipine is likely because of an inhibition of a voltage-dependent calcium channel. This is substantiated further by the fact that ionomycin (10 microM) was able to reverse the nimodipine inhibitions as well as this slow component of dopamine inhibition. The nature of the rapid inhibition of TRH-stimulated inositol phosphate production induced by dopamine, but not by nimodipine, remains to be determined. It is suppressed in the absence of extracellular Ca2+. This may suggest that this inhibition is related to blockade of non-dihydropyridine-sensitive Ca2+ channels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Effects of Bay K 8644 on renal function and renin secretion in anesthetized rats

Our previous study on kidney cortical slices showed that Bay K 8644, a dihydropyridine calcium channel agonist, produced a dose-dependent inhibitory action on the release of renin. The present study was performed to examine the effect of Bay K 8644 on renal function and renin secretion in vivo. When Bay K 8644 was directly infused into the renal artery of anesthetized rats, 2 micrograms/kg/min had no effect on renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR), but decreased urine flow (UF), urinary sodium excretion (UNaV) and fractional sodium excretion (FENa) by about 30%, 55% and 35%, respectively, thereby suggesting that Bay K 8644 enhanced the tubular reabsorption of water and sodium. When 10 micrograms/kg/min were infused, RBF, GFR, UF, UNaV and FENa decreased to about 95%, 70%, 35%, 35% and 30% of each control value. The administration of Bay K 8644 at 10 micrograms/kg/min did not influence the basal levels of plasma renin activity (PRA) and renin secretion rate (RSR), but did inhibit significantly isoproterenol-induced increasing effects on PRA and RSR. These results indicate that the activation of voltage-dependent calcium channels with Bay K 8644 influences the control of renal function and renin secretion in vivo.     

Agonists Bay-K8644 and CGP-28392 open calcium channels reconstituted from skeletal muscle transverse tubules.

The recently described calcium channel agonists Bay-K8644 and CGP-28392 have been used to induce long-term opening of calcium channels from purified rat muscle transverse tubules (t-tubules) incorporated into planar phospholipid bilayers. Agonist-open channels are selective for divalent cations (except Mg++), display voltage-dependent kinetics, and are blocked by the calcium channel antagonist, nitrendipine. The sensitivity to dihydropyridine agonists and antagonists indicate that a pool of t-tubule calcium channels remain functional after membrane fractionation and purification.     

Regional differentiation of the sea urchin sperm plasma membrane

In order to study the molecular basis for the functional localization and behavioral control of sperm, we have partially characterized plasma membranes prepared from isolated head and tail fractions. These membranes have similar amounts of the Na+ pump (as reflected by (Na+,K+)-ATPase activity), whereas they differ in protein composition, binding sites for Ca2+ channel antagonists, and in the localization of enzymes of cyclic nucleotide metabolism. The Ca2+ channel antagonist D600 (and related phenylalkylamines) binds to plasma membrane preparations from sperm heads and tails with much higher affinity than do the dihydropyridine antagonists. This binding is inhibited greatly by certain monovalent (but not divalent) ions, especially Na+, Tris+, glycine ethyl ester+, and methylamine+.K+,Li+, and choline+ are less effective. In media of ionic composition resembling seawater, sperm tail membranes exhibit 6.5-fold more binding sites for D600 than do membranes from sperm head. cGMP phosphodiesterase and adenylate cyclase are also enriched in plasma membranes from the tail. Thus, the highly polarized sperm cell exhibits a regional differentiation of plasma membrane proteins implicated in behavioral control.     

The effects of dihydropyridines on neurotransmitter release from cultured neuronal cells

Depolarizing stimuli increase the release of transmitter substances from cultured PC12 pheochromocytoma cells and reaggregate cultures of mouse mesencephalic dopamine neurones. We measured the stimulated release of (3H) norepinephrine and (3H) dopamine from these systems respectively. In the cultured mouse dopaminergic neurones, several organic calcium channel blockers including nitrendipine, D-600, verapamil and diltiazem were unable to inhibit potassium-evoked transmitter release. However, release was blocked by 3 mM cobalt. The novel dihydropyridine calcium channel agonist BAY K8644 also had no effect on basal or evoked dopamine release. In contrast, BAY K8644 greatly stimulated the potassium-evoked release of (3H) norepinephrine from PC12 cells. The BAY K8644 enhanced release could be blocked by the dihydropyridine antagonist nitrendipine. These results indicate that while stimulus-secretion coupling in the PC12 cell line involves dihydropyridine sensitive calcium channels, this is not the case in primary cultured neurones.     

The calcium agonist Bay K 8644 stimulates secretion from a pituitary cell line

The dihydropyridine calcium agonist Bay K 8644 acts in a dose-dependent manner to increase prolactin secretion from the GH₄C₁ pituitary cell line. Enhanced secretion was observed at agonist concentrations as low as 10 nM. In the continued presence of Bay K 8644 secretion remained elevated for at least 30 min. The effect of the agonist was Ca²⁺-dependent and competitively antagonized by dihydropyridine antagonists. Apparently Bay K 8644 acts at the dihydropyridine binding site associated with GH₄C₁ Ca²⁺ channels to enhance Ca²⁺ influx and stimulate secretion from these cells. This is the first report demonstrating that the newly discovered Ca²⁺ agonist can, by itself, stimulate secretion from a cell.     

Calcium channel agonists and antagonists: effects of chronic treatment on pituitary prolactin synthesis and intracellular calcium

PRL synthesis by GH cells in culture has previously been shown to increase when calcium is added to cultures grown in calcium-depleted medium or when cultures are treated for 18 h or longer with the dihydropyridine calcium channel agonist BAY K8644, whereas the antagonist nimodipine inhibits PRL. The experiments described here were designed to test whether differences in PRL synthesis caused by the dihydropyridines are due to changes in PRL mRNA levels, whether structurally different classes of calcium channel blockers alter PRL production, and whether long term treatment with calcium channel agonists and antagonists alters intracellular free calcium, [Ca2+]i. PRL synthesis and PRL mRNA levels were increased similarly by BAY K8644 and decreased in parallel by the dihydropyridine antagonist nimodipine, while overall protein and RNA synthesis were not changed by either the agonist or antagonist. Two calcium channel blockers which act at different sites on L-type channels than the dihydropyridines also inhibited PRL synthesis without affecting GH; 5 microM verapamil reduced PRL by 64% and 15 microM diltiazem by 89%. Partial depolarization with 5-25 mM KCl increased PRL synthesis up to 2-fold. The intracellular free calcium ion concentration was estimated by Quin 2 and averaged 142 nM for control cultures in normal medium, and 128 and 168 nM for cultures treated 72 h with nimodipine or BAY K8644, respectively. Nimodipine totally prevented the calcium rise obtained upon depolarization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Maitotoxin-Induced Intracellular Calcium Rise in PC 12 Cells: Involvement of Dihydropyridine-Sensitive and ω-Conotoxin-Sensitive Calcium Channels and Phosphoinositide Breakdown

The biological activities of maitotoxin are strictly dependent on the extracellular calcium concentration and are always associated with an increase of the free cytosolic calcium level. We tested the effects of voltage-sensitive calcium channel blockers (nicardipine and omega-conotoxin) on maitotoxin-induced intracellular calcium increase, membrane depolarization, and inositol phosphate production in PC12 cells. Maitotoxin dose dependently increased the cytosolic calcium level, as measured by the fluorescent probe fura 2. This effect disappeared in a calcium-free medium; it was still observed in the absence of extracellular sodium and was enhanced by the dihydropyridine calcium agonist Bay K 8644. Nicardipine inhibited the effect of maitotoxin on intracellular calcium concentration in a dose-dependent manner. The maitotoxin-induced calcium rise was also reduced by pretreating cells with omega-conotoxin. Pretreatment of cells with maitotoxin did not modify 125I-omega-conotoxin and [3H]PN 200-110 binding to PC12 membranes. Nicardipine and omega-conotoxin inhibition of maitotoxin-evoked calcium increase was reduced by pertussis toxin pretreatment. Maitotoxin caused a substantial membrane depolarization of PC12 cells as assessed by the fluorescent dye bisoxonol. This effect was reduced by pretreating the cells with either nicardipine or omega-conotoxin and was almost completely abolished by the simultaneous pretreatment with both calcium antagonists. Maitotoxin stimulated inositol phosphate production in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was reduced by pretreating the cells with 1 microM nicardipine and was completely abolished in a calcium-free EGTA-containing medium. The findings on maitotoxin-induced cytosolic calcium rise and membrane depolarization suggest that maitotoxin exerts its action primarily through the activation of voltage-sensitive calcium channels, the increase of inositol phosphate production likely being an effect dependent on calcium influx. The ability of nicardipine and omega-conotoxin to inhibit the effect of maitotoxin on both calcium homeostasis and membrane potential suggests that L- and N-type calcium channel activation is responsible for the influx of calcium following exposure to maitotoxin, and not that a depolarization of unknown nature causes the opening of calcium channels.     

Evidence that the Peripheral-Type Benzodiazepine Receptor Ligand Ro 5–4864 Inhibits β-Endorphin Release from AtT-20 Cells by Blockade of Voltage-Dependent Calcium Channels

The demonstrations that Ro 5-4864, a ligand selective for the peripheral-type benzodiazepine (BZD) binding site, inhibited cellular differentiation and proliferation and that occupancy of the peripheral-type BZD binding site likely mediated the observed BZD effects on diverse endocrine tissues suggested that Ro 5-4864 disrupted a common cellular regulatory event. Using a well-characterized anterior pituitary-derived tumor cell line (AtT-20 cells), which synthesizes and secretes adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), beta-lipotropin hormone (beta-LPH), and beta-endorphin (BE), we have investigated the molecular mechanism of action of Ro 5-4864's capacity to alter BE secretion. Ro 5-4864 inhibits basal and induced BE release from AtT-20 cells, through a cyclic AMP-independent mechanism. Ro 5-4864 completely blocked the corticotropin-releasing hormone and forskolin-induced release of BE without altering the concomitant production of cyclic AMP. The addition to AtT-20 cells of CGP 28392, a dihydropyridine that has been demonstrated in other systems to specifically activate voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels, resulted in a cyclic AMP-independent, dose-related increase in BE secretion. This CGP-induced BE release was blocked by increasing concentrations of Ro 5-4864. In contrast to the capacity of Ro 5-4864 to block CGP-induced BE release, Ro 5-4864 lacked the capacity to block enhanced BE secretion due to the calcium ionophore A23187, which increases intracellular Ca2+ levels independent of the voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. Our findings suggest that Ro 5-4864 inhibits BE secretion from AtT-20 cells through a blockade of the voltage-dependent membrane Ca2+ channels and this mechanism of action may be responsible for Ro 5-4864's diverse effects observed on other cell types.     

Activation of Guanylate Cyclase by Bradykinin in Rat Sensory Neurones Is Mediated by Calcium Influx: Possible Role of the Increase in Cyclic GMP

Bradykinin, which activates polymodal nociceptors, increased cyclic GMP (cGMP) in a capsaicin-sensitive population of cultured sensory neurones from rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG) by stimulating guanylate cyclase, but had no effect on cyclic AMP (cAMP). In nonneuronal cells from DRG, bradykinin increased cAMP, but not cGMP. The bradykinin-induced increase in cGMP in the neurones was completely blocked by removal of extracellular Ca2+, or by incubation of the cells with the calcium channel blockers nifedipine and verapamil. Pretreatment of the neurones with either dibutyryl cGMP or sodium nitroprusside (which elevates cGMP) inhibited bradykinin-induced formation of inositol phosphates. It is possible that cGMP could be involved in the regulation of polyphosphoinositide turnover in DRG neurones.