Modulations of early and late secretory processes by activation of protein kinases in the rat adrenal medulla

Modulatory effects of the activation of either protein kinase C (PKC) by phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) or protein kinase A (PKA) by forskolin on stimulant-evoked secretory processes in the perfused rat adrenal medulla were studied. PDBu or forskolin was applied during repetitive stimulation (30 s each at 10-min intervals) with nicotine, bradykinin, muscarine or histamine, and changes in Ca2+]i (fura-2 microfluorometry) and catecholamine secretions (electrochemical detection) were simultaneously measured. PDBu markedly potentiated the nicotine-evoked secretion without altering the Ca2+]i response. PDBu partially inhibited the muscarine-evoked secretion and almost completely blocked the histamine-evoked secretion, concomitantly with extensive suppressions of the Ca2+]i responses to these stimulants. The bradykinin-evoked secretion was enhanced by PDBu despite a slight attenuation of the Ca2+]i response. PDBu reduced bradykinin-induced intracellular Ca2+ release in a Ca2+-free medium but enhanced the secretion associated with the released Ca2+. These results suggest that PDBu-activated PKC modulates secretory processes at, at least, two different stages. An early-stage modulation may downregulate receptor/G protein systems, which accounts for the inhibitory effect of PDBu on the muscarine- and histamine-evoked responses. A late-stage modulation may generally promote Ca2+-triggered exocytosis after elevation of Ca2+]i, which explains the potentiation of the nicotine-evoked secretion by PDBu. The late-stage modulation may counteract the early-stage modulation in bradykinin-stimulated cells. Forskolin potentiated the secretory responses to the four secretagogues without increasing the Ca2+]i responses. PKA may modulate secretory process at a step(s) distal to the rise in Ca2+]i as is the case with the late-stage modulation by PKC.