Mechanisms of vasoactive intestinal peptide release in short-term culture of vasoactive intestinal peptide-producing tumor

Vasoactive intestinal peptide-producing tumor tissue fragments obtained at surgery were maintained in short-term culture. Functional cellular integrity of vasoactive intestinal peptide-producing tumor tissue was reflected by progressive protein synthesis and the ability of tumor tissue to release vasoactive intestinal peptide when stimulated by the intracellular second messengers cyclic adenosine monophosphate and calcium. Studies with verapamil and ethyleneglycol-bis (beta-aminoethylether)-N,N'-tetraacetic acid suggest that cyclic nucleotide- and ionophore A23187-mediated vasoactive intestinal peptide release are dependent, at least in part, upon the availability and transmembrane transport of extracellular calcium.