Early effects of PRL on ion conductances in CHO cells expressing PRL receptor

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells were stably transfected with prolactin (PRL) receptor cDNA. These cells (CHO-E32) expressed the long form of functional PRL receptor. Using microfluorimetric and patch-clamp techniques, we have investigated the effects of PRL on intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and membrane ion conductances. Exposure of CHO-E32 cells to 5 nM PRL resulted in an increase in [Ca2+]i. Two types of response were observed: 1) a stimulation of Ca2+ entry and 2) an intracellular Ca2+ mobilization. As PRL inhibited voltage-activated Ca2+ current, the PRL-induced Ca2+ increase does not involve voltage-activated Ca2+ channels. PRL also increased a charybdotoxin-sensitive Ca(2+)-dependent K+ conductance. Simultaneous measurements showed that PRL hyperpolarized the membrane potential before increasing intracellular Ca2+ levels. In voltage clamp, hyperpolarizing voltage steps were associated with increased Ca2+ concentrations, whereas depolarizing voltage steps decreased [Ca2+]i. Cell-free patch-clamp experiments showed that PRL directly stimulates K+ channel activity. Our results suggest the existence of a regulatory complex involving a protein kinase tightly associated with the Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels and that PRL stimulates these channels by means of the activation of protein kinase. The resulting hyperpolarization stimulates Ca2+ entry, probably through voltage-insensitive nonspecific channels.