Effect of P<inf>2Y</inf>Agonists on Adenosine Transport in Cultured Chromaffin Cells

Abstract

Adenosine transport in cultured chromaffin cells was inhibited by purinergic P2y‐receptor agonists without significant changes in the affinity constant, the values being between 1 ± 0.4 and 1.6 ± 0.6 μM. The Vmax parameter was modified significantly, being 40 ± 1.0, 26 ± 5.0, 32 ± 3.0, and 22 ± 4.7 pmol/106 cells/min for control, adenosine‐5′‐O‐(2‐thiodiphosphate), 5′‐adenylylimidodiphosphate, and P1,P4‐di(adenosine‐5′‐) tetraphosphate (Ap4A) (100 μM for every effector), respectively. Ap4A, a physiological ligand for P2y receptors in chromaffin cells, showed the highest inhibitory effect (45%). This transport inhibition is explained by an increase in the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and the activation of protein kinase C (PKC). Experiments of [Ca2+]i measurement with the fura‐2 technique showed that P2y agonists, as well as bradykinin, were able to increase [Ca2+]i, this effect being independent of the presence of extracellular Ca2+. The peptide bradykinin, determined to be coupled to phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis and internal Ca2+ mobilization in chromaffin cells, exhibited a behavior similar to that of P2y agonists in adenosine transport inhibition (39%). P2y agonists and bradykinin increased PKC activity associated with the membrane fraction (about 50% increase in particulate PKC activity with respect to controls). The present studies suggest that adenosine transport is regulated by P2y‐purinergic receptors mediated via Ca2+ mobilization and PKC activation.