In vitro secretion of immunoreactive tonin from dispersed rat submandibular gland cells

Dispersed cells from the submandibular gland of the male rat were prepared by collagenase treatment to study the mechanism by which immunoreactive tonin is secreted in vitro. Norepinephrine, epinephrine, and phenylephrine stimulated tonin release, an effect that was inhibited by phentolamine but not by propranolol, whereas isoproterenol, carbachol, histamine, and serotonin did not stimulate tonin release. The stimulatory effect elicited by alpha-adrenergic agonists was inhibited by both removal of Ca2+ from the medium and addition of diltiazem and nifedipine, both selective calcium channel blockers. The divalent cation ionophore A23187 stimulated tonin release in the presence of Ca2+, but not in the presence of Mg2+. Dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate, methylisobutylxanthine, angiotensin II, and vasoactive intestinal peptide had no effect on tonin release. The apparent molecular size of immunoreactive tonin released into the medium under basal and norepinephrine-stimulated conditions was similar to that of standard tonin by gel exclusion chromatography. These data suggest that the in vitro secretion of immunoreactive tonin from rat submandibular gland is initiated by activation of alpha-adrenergic receptors and apparently involves a mechanism dependent not on cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate, but on the influx of extracellular Ca2+.