Effects of neurotransmitters on calcium efflux from cultured glioma cells

The effects of various neurotransmitters and cyclic nucleotides on 45Ca2+ efflux in cultured human glioma cells were investigated. Glutamate and glycine, but not GABA, stimulated 45Ca2+ release from the cells. Stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptors but not alpha-adrenergic receptors also increased 45Ca2+ efflux. Cholinergic receptor stimulation by carbachol had the same effect. The stimulatory effect of carbachol was abolished in the presence of either atropine or hexamethonium. C-AMP and c-GMP increased the 45Ca2+ efflux, suggesting that these agents are involved in the transmitter-stimulated release of 45Ca2+ from the cell. Kinetic analysis of the efflux revealed four calcium compartments. The carbachol-stimulated efflux represented a net release of calcium and could be ascribed to the slowest compartment. The physiological role of the transmitter-stimulated calcium release is discussed in terms of calcium-regulated stimulus-response coupling in glial-neural interaction during excitation.