Response of rat parotid acini to barium

The effect of barium on isolated acini was tested. Barium in the 0.1-10 mM concentration range non-competitively inhibited the efflux of 86Rb+ stimulated by carbamylcholine or substance P. This inhibition was independent of the presence of calcium in the extracellular medium. In the same preparation, barium did not affect the efflux of 45Ca2+ but, at a 10 mM concentration, it increased amylase release by 70%. Removal of extracellular calcium decreased basal amylase release and the response to carbamylcholine. Adding back calcium or barium to the incubation medium increased basal and carbamylcholine-stimulated amylase secretion, but calcium was more effective than barium. These results suggest that barium has two opposite effects on calcium-regulated processes in rat parotid gland: (1) it is an inhibitor of calcium-activated potassium channels; (2) it is a partial agonist of calcium-activated amylase secretion.