Different sensitivities to dihydropyridines of catecholamine release from cat and ox adrenals

Catecholamine release evoked by quick pulses of Ca2+ (2.5 mM) given sequentially at 30 min intervals to cat and ox adrenal glands perfused continuously with Ca2+ free Krebs-Tris solutions containing 35 or 118 mM K+, was studied. In the feline, the secretory response was highly sensitive to various dihydropyridine (DHP) derivatives. For instance, secretion was completely blocked by nM concentrations of (+)isradipine (IC50 between 3 and 4 nM) and markedly potentiated by (-)Bay-K-8644. In contrast, the bovine secretory responses were resistant to blockade by nitrendipine or (+)isradipine, as well as to potentiation by Bay-K-8644, even at microM concentrations. From these experiments, it seems clear that distinct subtypes of Ca2+ channels might mediate a similar secretory response in ox and cat adrenal chromaffin cells, at least in the present experimental conditions.