Rapid accumulation of cyclic GMP near activated vitamin D receptors.

The mechanisms of early calcitriol (1 alpha,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol) effects, including its receptor activation process as well as its "nongenomic" effects, are poorly understood. Calcitriol causes a rapid accumulation of cGMP, dependent on the presence of normal vitamin D receptors (VDRs). We recently developed an immunocytology method based on rapid microwave fixation suitable to detect the locations of agonist-induced intracellular cGMP accumulation. With the same technique we found that calcitriol induces stepwise and rapid reorganization of VDRs. Here we used this technique to study the subcellular compartmentalization of cGMP accumulation after exposure of cells to various steroid-related agonists and to study the spatial relationship between cGMP accumulation and VDRs. Calcitriol (10 nM) within 15 sec caused clumping of VDRs and accumulation of cGMP around VDR clumps; thereafter (up to 5 min), the cGMP accumulation surrounded VDRs throughout their stepwise reorganization. In fibroblasts from subjects with mutations affecting VDR function, we found disruptions of the calcitriol-induced patterns of cGMP accumulation analogous to the disruptions of VDR reorganization. The colocalization of cGMP accumulation with reorganizing VDRs at early moments after calcitriol addition indicates transduction of the cGMP increase by VDRs inside the cell, rather than by components in the plasma membrane. Other steroid-related agonists caused compartmentalized and sequential changes in cGMP accumulation that seemed specific for each class of agonist. Our findings suggest that compartmentalized cGMP accumulation is an early and common step during activation of steroid-related receptors.     

Cyclic nucleotides and somatomedin action in cartilage

The role of cyclic nucleotides was evaluated in the stimulation of cartilage metabolism by somatomedin-C (Sm-C). The effects of cAMP and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) analogs on matrix synthesis were evaluated. The effects of Sm-C on tissue concentrations of these cyclic nucleotides were investigated. Likewise, the direct effects of Sm-C on the activities of cartilage adenylate cyclase, guanylate cyclase, and phosphodiesterase were determined. We found that tissue concentrations of cAMP in cartilage declined rapidly during organ culture, despite the presence of serum or Sm-C, cGMP concentrations in cartilage declined rapidly during control incubations but were augmented significantly at 30 and 60 min of incubation with the addition of serum or Sm-C. Thereafter, cGMP concentrations declined toward the levels of incubated control cartilages. Sm-C had no effect on phosphodiesterase activity. N6-Monobutyryl cAMP stimulated sulfate uptake, but dibutyryl cGMP did not. Sm-C did not stimulate adenylate cyclase in purified plasma membranes from chondrocytes, whereas it stimulated both plasma membrane and cytosol guanylate cyclase at concentrations of Sm-C as low as 10(-12) M. These data would indicate that cAMP is not the intracellular second messenger for Sm-C in cartilage. The data for cGMP are provocative and suggest it as a candidate for a second messenger mediating a portion of Sm's stimulation of cartilage metabolism.     

Comparative involvement of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases and adenylyl cyclase on adrenocorticotropin-induced increase of cyclic adenosine monophosphate in rat and human glomerulosa cells.

The present study investigated the role and identity of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) in the regulation of basal and ACTH-stimulated levels of intracellular cAMP in human and rat adrenal glomerulosa cells. Comparative dose-response curves indicated that maximal hormone-stimulated cAMP accumulation was 11- and 24-fold higher in human and rat cells, compared with cAMP production obtained in corresponding membranes, respectively. Similarly to 3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine, 25 microM erythro-9-[2-hydroxy-3-nonyl]adenine (EHNA, a specific PDE2 inhibitor), caused a large increase in ACTH-stimulated cAMP accumulation; by contrast, it did not change cAMP production in membranes. Moreover, in membrane fractions, addition of 10 microM cGMP inhibited ACTH-induced cAMP production, an effect completely reversed by addition of 25 microM EHNA. These results indicate that PDE2 activity is involved in the regulation of cAMP accumulation induced by ACTH, and suggest that ACTH inhibits this activity. Indeed, time-course studies indicated that ACTH induced a rapid decrease in cGMP production, resulting in PDE2 inhibition, which in turn, contributed [with adenylyl cyclase (AC) activation] to an accumulation in cAMP for 15 min. Thereafter, cAMP content decreased, because of cAMP-stimulated PDE2, as confirmed by measurement of PDE activity that was activated by ACTH, but only after a 10-min incubation. Hence, we demonstrate that the ACTH-induced increase in intracellular cAMP is the result of a balance between activation of AC and direct modulation of PDE2 activity, an effect mediated by cGMP content. Although similar results were observed in both models, PDE2 involvement is more important in rat than in human adrenal glomerulosa cells, whereas AC is more stimulated in human than in rat glomerulosa cells.     

Effect of age on parathyroid hormone and forskolin stimulated adenylate cyclase and protein kinase activity in the renal cortex

The capacity of parathyroid hormone (PTH) to stimulate the renal production of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D declines with age. Since the action of PTH in the kidney is mediated by cAMP, we have examined the effect of PTH and forskolin on renal cortical adenylate cyclase in young (3 months), adult (13–15 months), and old (25–27 months) F344 rats. PTH-dependent adenylate cyclase, measured as cAMP accumulation in cortical slices, was reduced in adult and old rats compared to young rats over a PTH concentration range of 0.015–15 units/ml. There was no differences in PTH-dependent adenylate cyclase activity between adult and old rats. Renal plasma membrane preparations demonstrated similar changes in PTH-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. There was no difference in calcitonin, forskolin, or guanyl-5-ylimidodiphosphate (Gpp(NH)p) stimulation of adenylate cyclase in plasma membranes from each age group, suggesting that the defect lies in the membrane receptor for PTH. The decreased adult sensitivity to PTH could be reversed by thyroparathyroidectomy. PTH stimulation of cytosolic protein kinase activity did not change with age. These results suggest that the decrease in PTH-dependent adenylate cyclase is due to the alterations at the level of PTH receptor. These alterations may be in response to the increase in serum PTH seen in these animals with increasing age.     

Dual effects of calcitonin and calcitonin gene-related peptide on intracellular cyclic 3',5'-monophosphate in a human breast cancer cell line

The effects of salmon calcitonin (sCT) and human calcitonin (hCT) and of rat (r) and human (h) calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) on intracellular cAMP accumulation were tested in human breast cancer cells (MCF7). In addition to the well known stimulatory effect, each showed a significant inhibitory effect on cAMP accumulation at low doses. cAMP concentrations in response to sCT, hCT, and rCGRP decreased to 47 +/- 2, 45 +/- 4, and 56 +/- 2% (mean +/- 1 SE) of baseline. The potency ratios for the inhibitory action of sCT, hCT, and rCGRP (1:0.25:0.005, respectively) were similar to the potency ratios for stimulatory action (1:0.3:0.005). The inhibition of cAMP accumulation developed at 300-fold lower peptide concentrations than the stimulation. Preincubation with pertussis toxin or with manganese completely abolished the inhibitory effect of the peptides, suggesting that this is mediated by an inhibitory adenylate cyclase regulatory protein. sCT, hCT, and CGRP each showed unique patterns with regard to time course of inhibition of cAMP accumulation. We conclude that 1) CT can activate an inhibitory adenylate cyclase regulatory protein and a stimulatory adenylate cyclase regulatory protein, and 2) CT effect on an inhibitory adenylate cyclase regulatory protein in MCF 7 cells is evident at far lower hormone concentrations than its effect on a stimulatory adenylate cyclase regulatory protein.     

Evidence for alpha-adrenergic receptors acting through the guanylate cyclase system in human cultured thyroid cells

In order to investigate the presence of alpha-adrenergic receptors in human thyroid, we have studied the effect of alpha-adrenergic agonists and antagonists on cGMP cellular content of human thyroid cells in primary culture. Epinephrine as well as TSH were not able to modify the cGMP cellular levels, while norepinephrine significantly increased cGMP accumulation already at 10 nM, a dose inactive on cAMP accumulation. A non selective alpha-adrenergic antagonist, phentolamine, significantly inhibited cGMP accumulation induced by norepinephrine. Norepinephrine-induced cGMP accumulation was unaffected by prazosin, an alpha 1-adrenergic antagonist, but was abolished by yohimbine, an alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist. Phenylephrine, an alpha-adrenergic agonist, produced an increase of cellular cGMP levels without modifying cAMP content. In the presence of TSH, the cGMP response to norepinephrine was not modified; however, the increase of cAMP levels was inhibited by norepinephrine at doses inactive on cAMP accumulation, but active on cGMP levels. The present results demonstrate the existence in human thyroid cells of alpha 2-adrenergic receptors, regulating the guanylate cyclase system. It may be postulated that the counter-regulation exerted by alpha-adrenergic agonists on the response to TSH operates on the TSH-dependent adenylate cyclase.     

Atrial natriuretic peptide, oxytocin, and vasopressin increase guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate in LLC-PK1 kidney epithelial cells

The effect of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), arginine vasopressin (AVP), and oxytocin (OT) on cAMP and cGMP accumulation was investigated in LLC-PK1 kidney epithelial cells. The addition of ANP, AVP, and OT to intact cells produced a time- and concentration-dependent increase in cGMP accumulation. ANP produced a 1.7-fold increase in cGMP at 10 pM and a maximal 28-fold increase in cGMP at 1 microM. ANP had no effect on basal or AVP-induced stimulation of cAMP accumulation. OT was 10-fold more potent than AVP at increasing cGMP levels, producing a 2.1-fold increase in cGMP at 0.1 nM, whereas AVP was 100-fold more potent at increasing cAMP levels. At a concentration of 1 microM, AVP and OT produced a maximal 12 to 14-fold increase in cGMP, while OT and AVP produced 50- and 90-fold increase in cAMP, respectively. The selective OT agonist [Thr4, Gly7]oxytocin was very effective at increasing cGMP, but not at increasing cAMP levels. The V2-vasopressin agonist [deamino-Pen1,Val4, D-Arg8]vasopressin did not increase cGMP levels, but produced a 20-fold increase in cAMP levels. The addition of ANP together with either AVP or OT produced an additive increase in cGMP content. Simultaneous addition of AVP and OT did not lead to a greater increase in cAMP or cGMP levels. These results suggest that the AVP- and OT-induced increase in cGMP is mediated by OT receptors, whereas the increase in cAMP is probably mediated by vasopressin receptors. ANP increased the activity of particulate guanylate cyclase by 6-fold, while AVP and OT has no effect on particulate guanylate cyclase activity. The relatively selective inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase, methylene blue, had no effect on the ANP-induced increase in cGMP content in intact cells, but produced a 50% inhibition of the increase in cGMP by AVP and OT. Methylene blue did not alter the stimulation of cAMP by AVP or OT. These results demonstrate that ANP, AVP, and OT increase cGMP in LLC-PK1 kidney epithelial cells. The increase in cGMP by ANP is mediated by particulate guanylate cyclase, whereas AVP and OT probably increase cGMP by interacting with OT receptors coupled to soluble guanylate cyclase.     

Pertussis toxin differentiates between two mechanisms of attenuation of cyclic AMP accumulation by muscarinic cholinergic receptors.

It has been proposed elsewhere [Meeker, R.B. & Harden, T. K. (1982) Mol. Pharmacol. 22, 310-319] that muscarinic cholinergic receptor-mediated attenuation of cAMP accumulation occurs through activation of phosphodiesterase in 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells. Pertussis toxin, which ADP-ribosylates the guanine nucleotide regulatory protein involved in receptor-mediated inhibition of adenylate cyclase (Ni), has been utilized to further differentiate between the mechanism of cholinergic regulation of cAMP metabolism in 1321N1 cells and the mechanism involving inhibition of adenylate cyclase in other tissues. Muscarinic receptor-mediated regulation of cAMP accumulation in NG108-15 neuroblastoma-glioma cells occurs through inhibition of adenylate cyclase. Pretreatment of these cells with pertussis toxin completely blocked the capacity of carbachol to attenuate cAMP accumulation. In contrast, concentrations of pertussis toxin two to three orders of magnitude higher than those effective in NG108-15 cells had no effect on muscarinic receptor-mediated attentuation of cAMP accumulation in 1321N1 cells. In addition, no effect of pertussis toxin was observed either on the control rate or the carbachol-stimulated rate of cAMP degradation measured directly in intact 1321N1 cells. A 41,000 Mr protein previously proposed to be the alpha subunit of Ni was labeled during incubation of a plasma membrane fraction from 1321N1 cells with [32P]NAD and pertussis toxin. Pertussis toxin is apparently active in 1321N1 cells, since this protein substrate was not labeled in plasma membrane preparations from cells previously incubated with toxin. Functional activity of Ni was demonstrated by the observation that guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate- and GTP-mediated inhibition of forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity occurred in cell-free preparations from 1321N1 cells. The inhibitory activity of these guanine nucleotides was lost in membrane preparations from pertussis toxin-treated cells. The data suggest that adenylate cyclase is not involved in cholinergic action in 1321N1 cells and, furthermore, Ni is not involved in muscarinic receptor-mediated activation of phosphodiesterase in these cells. Thus, pertussis toxin can be used to differentiate between two mechanisms of cholinergic regulation of cAMP metabolism.     

Cyclic nucleotides and the regulation of canine gastric acid secretion

The response of the cyclic nucleotide system (cAMP, cGMP, adenylate cyclase, guanylate cyclase, and specific phosphodiesterases) to two gastric acid secretagogues, histamine and acetylcholine, and two secretory inhibitors, prostaglandin E₂ and secretin, was studiedin vivo andin vitro in canine gastric fundic mucosa. Histamine and acetylcholinein vivo failed to stimulate cAMP but significantly increased cGMP;in vitro they affected neither adenylate cyclase nor guanylate cyclase. Prostaglandin E₂ and secretin, however, increased cAMPin vivo and significantly stimulated adenylate cyclasein vitro. Specific phosphodiesterases were unaffected by these compounds. The changes, while not specifically localized to the acid-producing cells, are consistent with the suggestion that the control of canine gastric acid secretion may be mediated by changes in mucosal cAMP and cGMP.Presented in part at Digestive Diseases Week, May 25, 1977, Toronto, Canada.This study was supported in part by a grant from the John A. Hartford Foundation, Inc.     

See-saw signal processing: reciprocal effects of stimulus deprivation on vasoactive intestinal peptide-stimulated adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate and guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate accumulation in rat pinealocytes.

In the present study the effects of stimulus deprivation on vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)- and alpha 1-adrenergically mediated amplification of VIP-stimulated cAMP and cGMP accumulation were examined. Dispersed pinealocytes were prepared from either Sprague-Dawley rats maintained for 2 weeks in a normal lighting schedule providing 14 h of light/day (LD cells) or from animals maintained in constant lighting (LL cells). LL treatment enhanced the VIP-stimulated cAMP response up to 2-fold, while reducing the peak VIP-stimulated cGMP by 70%. In LL cells, phenylephrine potentiated the VIP-stimulated cAMP response, but did not potentiate the VIP-stimulated cGMP response. Potentiation of the cAMP response to VIP can be produced in LD cells by treatment with agents that elevate intracellular Ca2+ (depolarizing concentrations of K+ or A23187) or an activator of protein kinase-C [14 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)]. LL treatment abolished the potentiating effects of K+ or A23187 on cAMP and cGMP responses in VIP-treated cells. In contrast, LL treatment augmented the PMA potentiation of VIP-stimulated cAMP response. The potentiation effects of PMA and K+ on the cGMP response in VIP-treated cells, however, were suppressed by LL treatment. To further investigate the involvement of postreceptor mechanisms, forskolin was used to stimulate pineal cAMP and cGMP accumulation. LL treatment had similar effects on the forskolin-stimulated cyclic nucleotide responses, with one exception. Depolarizing concentrations of K+ potentiated the forskolin-stimulated cAMP response while having no effect on the VIP-stimulated cAMP responses. These findings suggest that LL treatment results in a larger VIP-stimulated cAMP response, while its effect on the cGMP response is inhibitory. LL treatment appears to inhibit a step distal to elevation of intracellular Ca2+ which is of importance to the alpha 1-adrenergic potentiation of VIP-stimulated cAMP and cGMP responses.     

Neuropeptide regulation of interleukin-6 production from the pituitary: stimulation by pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide and calcitonin gene-related peptide.

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) production was shown to be stimulated by vasoactive intestinal peptide via cAMP dependent signal transduction pathway in the pituitary. We were interested in whether other hypothalamic neuropeptides, which activate adenylate cyclase in the pituitary, also stimulate pituitary IL-6 production. Whereas vasoactive intestinal peptide was effective in stimulating pituitary IL-6 production only at concentrations of 10(-6) M or higher, pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide with 38 residues (PACAP38) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) at concentrations from 10(-10) to 10(-9) M significantly stimulated IL-6 production. Similar effective concentrations of each peptide were required for activating adenylate cyclase, as measured by extracellular cAMP accumulation. H89, a specific inhibitor of cAMP dependent protein kinase (protein kinase A), inhibited IL-6 production stimulated by PACAP38, CGRP, and (Bu)2cAMP. However, H89 failed to inhibit the IL-6 production stimulated by lipopolysaccharide, a ligand which enhanced IL-6 production in the absence of cAMP accumulation. Two other peptides which are known to activate pituitary adenylate cyclase, corticotropin-releasing factor and GRF failed to stimulate IL-6 production in pituitary cells. Using discontinuous Percoll gradients to fractionate the pituitary cells, the greatest PACAP38-stimulated IL-6 secretion was observed in the low density fraction 1 (F1). This fraction also contained the highest percentage of folliculo-stellate (FS) cells, one of the nonhormone secreting pituitary cells. However, the largest PACAP38-induced accumulation of cAMP was observed in F4. These results suggest that the production of IL-6 stimulated by PACAP and CGRP is mediated by the adenylate cyclase/protein kinase A signal transduction system. FS cells appear to be the most likely target cell type for PACAP-induced IL-6 production. However, IL-6 producing FS cells may not be an exclusive target for PACAP in the pituitary.     

Inhibitory effects of amilorides on pinealocyte adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate and guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate accumulation: possible involvement of postreceptor mechanisms

In rat pinealocytes, alpha 1-adrenergic receptor activation increases intracellular pH (pHi) through Ca2+/protein kinase-C-dependent activation of the Na+/H+ antiporter. Using a series of amiloride analogs, norepinephrine stimulation of cGMP accumulation is also found to be pHi dependent. In this study, we examined the postreceptor mechanisms involved in the amiloride effects on cyclic nucleotide accumulation using agents that simulate alpha 1-adrenoceptor activation. Four amiloride analogs, with a 500-fold difference in their inhibitory potency of the Na+/H+ antiporter, were used. 5-(N,N-Hexamethylene)amiloride (HA), the most active inhibitor of the Na+/H+ antiporter, had a stimulatory effect on isoproterenol (ISO)-stimulated cAMP, while its effect on cGMP was inhibitory. The other three amiloride derivatives had no effect on the ISO-stimulated cAMP or cGMP responses. All four amilorides (at 10 microM) had no effect on the phenylephrine potentiation of cAMP responses in beta-adrenergically stimulated cells, while they inhibited the potentiation of cGMP accumulation according to their inhibitory potency on the Na+/H+ antiporter. Using depolarizing concentrations of K+, it was found that HA was additive to the submaximal potentiation by K+ on ISO-stimulated cAMP, while its effect on cGMP was inhibitory. Amiloride hydrochloride dihydrate, the amiloride that is least potent in its inhibitory action on the Na+/H+ antiporter, had no effect on the K+ potentiation of either cAMP or cGMP. Using 4 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate in cells treated with 10 mM K+ and ISO, it was found that HA was additive to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and K+ potentiation of the cAMP response, while its effect on the cGMP response was inhibitory. Amiloride hydrochloride had no effect on either the cAMP or cGMP response. It can be concluded from these studies that 1) HA has a stimulatory effect on the beta-adrenoceptor-Gs-adenylate cyclase pathway that is independent of inhibition of the Na+/H+ antiporter; 2) postreceptor mechanisms are involved in HA's effects on cAMP and cGMP accumulation; and 3) the action of HA on cGMP is likely to be related to its effect on the Na+/H+ antiporter.     

Dopaminergic inhibition of anterior pituitary adenylate cyclase activity and prolactin release: the effects of perturbing calcium on catalytic adenylate cyclase activity

The dopaminergic inhibition of anterior pituitary adenylate cyclase activity, cAMP accumulation, and prolactin release was studied in the presence of the Ca2+ channel activator, maitotoxin. In isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX)-treated cells, maitotoxin stimulated prolactin secretion within 30 s and cAMP accumulation within 1 min. Although dopamine reduced cAMP accumulation and prolactin release, the effectiveness of the catecholamine was reduced in the presence of maitotoxin. When hemipituitary glands were exposed for 10 min to 100 ng maitotoxin/ml, their membranes showed increased adenylate cyclase activity. The hypothesis that maitotoxin stimulates adenylate cyclase activity by increasing Ca2+ availability was supported by the observation that, at concentrations up to 100 microM, Ca2+-stimulated anterior pituitary adenylate cyclase activity. Although dopamine decreased basal and maitotoxin-stimulated pituitary cAMP accumulation, via changes in adenylate cyclase activity, the decrement in cyclic nucleotide production, but not prolactin release, can be ascribed to the effect of the catecholamine on the basal activities of these parameters. These data provide additional evidence that an increased Ca2+ flux is stimulating to cAMP generation and prolactin release, whereas dopamine is inhibitory to these processes.     

Rapid changes in specific estrogen binding elicited by cGMP or cAMP in cytosol from human endometrial cells.

Addition of cGMP to cytosol of human endometrium or to cells of the endometrial cancer line HEC-1 produced severalfold increases in specific estrogen binding (EB) levels. This effect was maximal with 1 microM cGMP in the presence of 0.1 mM isobutylmethylxanthine (a phosphodiesterase inhibitor) during incubations with [3H]estradiol. In contrast, cAMP decreased EB levels under similar conditions. The effects of cyclic nucleotides on EB levels were complete in less than 15 min in the presence of Mg2+, Mn2+, or Ca2+. The EB sites generated by the addition of cGMP during labeling of cytosol with 10 nM [3H]estradiol were found to sediment in the 8S and 4S regions of low-salt glycerol gradients. No changes in EB levels were observed when cyclic nucleotides were added to cytosol depleted of ATP by preincubation at 4 degrees C for 3 hr, but responsiveness was restored by addition of exogenous ATP. The ATP requirement and the pattern of dependence of cyclic nucleotide actions on divalent cation concentrations suggest that cGMP and cAMP effects may be mediated by kinases and may involve phosphorylations. Another possibility is that the cyclic nucleotides interact allosterically with the binder in the presence of ATP. Addition of sodium molybdate, ATP, and GTP to homogenates of endometrial tissue or HEC-1 cells produces increases in EB levels similar to those obtained by the addition of cGMP. However, these compounds are much less active when added to cytoplasm or cytosol. On the basis of these and other observations, it is hypothesized that molybdate, ATP, and GTP affect EB levels primarily by increasing cGMP concentrations through processes involving a plasma membrane-bound guanylate cyclase.     

Atrial natriuretic factor does not affect basal, forskolin- and CRF-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity, cAMP formation or ACTH secretion, but does stimulate cGMP synthesis in anterior pituitary

The report that ANF inhibits basal and CRF-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in anterior pituitary homogenates suggested that the atrial peptide could inhibit ACTH secretion. This possibility was investigated in the ACTH-secreting AtT-20 mouse pituitary tumor cell line as well as homogenates or primary cell cultures from rat anterior hypophysis. ANF (up to 5 X 10(-7) M) was found to be completely ineffective in stimulating basal, CRF- and/or forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity, cAMP accumulation and ACTH secretion. Similarly, ANF had no effect on spontaneous or GRF-induced GH release from cells in primary culture. ANF receptors, however, are present in AtT-20 cells and anterior pituitary cells as evidenced by the ability of the peptide to stimulate intracellular cGMP accumulation. The data, therefore, suggests that ANF does not have a negative modulatory action on the secretory function of anterior pituitary. The role of cGMP in any other action(s) of ANF remains unknown.     

Short- and long-term interactions of endothelium and vascular smooth muscle in coculture: effects on cyclic GMP production

In intact blood vessels, many vasodilators act by stimulating the release from endothelium of factor(s) that relax vascular smooth muscle and stimulate increases in cGMP. To investigate how endothelium regulates cGMP production in vascular smooth muscle, bovine aortic endothelial cells and rat aortic smooth muscle cells were cultured both separately and together in cocultures for 48 hr. Nitroprusside (1 mM) increased intracellular cGMP concentration 30-fold in smooth muscle cells (from a basal level of 103 +/- 54 fmol/mg of cell protein to 2920 +/- 1800 fmol/mg) but only 2-fold in endothelial cells (from 41 +/- 7 fmol/mg to 93 +/- 23 fmol/mg). When endothelial and smooth muscle cells were cocultured as a mixed cell population (1:1 cell ratio), both basal and nitroprusside-stimulated cGMP levels were significantly increased (550 +/- 250 and 13,240 +/- 9950 fmol/mg of total cell protein, respectively). The calcium ionophore A23187 (10 microM) caused no increase in cGMP concentration in either cell type cultured alone but produced a 6-fold increase in cocultures. Neither aspirin nor 5,8,11,14-icosatetraynoic acid influenced these results. No changes in cAMP levels were detected. Using cocultures in which one cell type was grown on microcarrier beads, we have shown that cGMP increased only in vascular smooth muscle cells and was not dependent upon the formation of junctions between endothelium and smooth muscle cells. In long-term (48-hr) mixed-cell cocultures, but not in short-term microcarrier cocultures, amplification of the nitroprusside-induced increase in cGMP was observed. These results show that responses associated with endothelium-dependent relaxation can be reconstituted in cultured endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells and that endothelium generates a humoral factor(s) that stimulates accumulation of smooth muscle cGMP and has a longer-term effect that amplifies guanylate cyclase stimulation by nitroprusside, a drug acting directly upon smooth muscle to stimulate formation of the cyclic nucleotide. Cultured cells provide a valuable model system for the study of endothelium-vascular smooth muscle interactions.     

Regulation of hepatic nuclear guanylate cyclase.

In immunohistochemical studies of rat liver tissue slices and purified nuclei, adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) and guanosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) immunofluorescence on the nuclear membrane are sequentially increased after glucagon administration. An explanation for the increased cGMP immunofluorescence was sought in experiments in which guanylate cyclase [GTP pyrophosphate-lyase (cyclizing), EC 4.6.1.2]activity of hepatic subcellular fractions was determined. The results showed that a nuclear guanylate cyclase exists which can be distinguished from the soluble and crude particulate guanylate cyclases. The activity of the nuclear enzyme was increased by 35% in nuclei isolated from rats 30 min after glucagon injection, the time at which maximal nuclear membrane cGMP immunofluorescence is observed. Because glucagon altered both cAMP location and levels prior to the observed changes in nuclear cGMP metabolism, the hypothesis that cAMP acted as the second messenger was tested. In vitro incubation of nuclei isolated from control rats with 10(-5) M cAMP produced a 25% increase in nuclear guanylate cyclase activity. With nuclei isolated from glucagon-treated rats, no significant increase in enzyme activity was observed; this indicates that maximal stimulation of nuclear guanylate cyclase by cAMP occurred at levels that are obtained in vivo after glucagon administration. These findings suggest that hepatic nuclear cGMP content may be regulated by a specific organelle guanylate cyclase and that cAMP may be one of the determinants of this enzyme's activity.     

Platelet release reaction and intracellular cGMP.

Enchanced cAMP concentrations inhibit the aggregation and release reaction of isolated human platelets and platelet-rich plasma to all known inducing agents. An opposing role for cGMP in this phenomenon has been proposed by some but not by others, and the function of cGMP in this secretory process is unclear. To further elucidate the role of cGMP in the release reaction, the effect of increased concentrations of this cyclic nucleotide on 14C-serotonin release was evaluated utilizing isolated human platelets and highly purified human thrombin or commercially available bovine thrombin. Several recently described stimulators of guanylate cyclase, including sodium nitroprusside, sodium azide, nitrosoquanidines, and ascorbic acid, were found to markedly augment platelet cGMP levels. Enhanced platelet cGMP concentrations produced by these drugs or by the exogenous addition of cGMP and its analogues neither caused these cells to secrete nor modulated the thrombin-induced serotonin release reaction. The inhibition of serotonin release by increased cAMP concentrations was not counteracted by increased cGMP levels. Platelet cGMP concentrations were unaltered by thrombin. These data indicate that cGMP is not an obligatory signal or a modulator of the thrombin-induced platelet release reaction.     

Effects of atrial natriuretic factor and vasopressin on cyclic nucleotides in cultured kidney cells

The cellular mechanism of the action of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) is thought to involve activation of guanylate cyclase. Increasing evidence shows a direct tubular effect of ANF. Part of the ANF-induced diuresis has been suggested to be due to inhibition of the action of arginine vasopressin (AVP) in the cortical collecting tubule. In this study we investigated the effect of ANF on cyclic nucleotide production in primary cultures of cortical collecting tubule cells immunodissected with a monoclonal antibody. ANF caused a dose-dependent stimulation in cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP) production; the half-maximal stimulation was observed at approximately 1 nM of ANF. ANF (0.01-100 nM) had no effect on cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) accumulation in cortical collecting tubule cultures. AVP caused a dose-dependent increase in cAMP production, and this effect was not altered by the simultaneous addition of ANF (100 nM). Similarly, ANF-induced cGMP stimulation was not influenced by AVP (10 nM). We conclude that 1) ANF has a direct stimulatory action on cGMP production by cultured cortical collecting tubule cells and 2) any interaction between ANF and AVP is likely to occur at steps distal to cyclic nucleotide formation.