Histamine-stimulated phospholipase C activity in bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin cells: the effect of chloride-channel antagonists and low extracellular chloride concentrations

Histamine activates phospholipase C (PLC) in a number of cell-types including those of neuronal and neuroendocrine origin. We report here that Cl(-)-channel antagonists of the niflumic acid-, but not stilbene disulphonic acid-class, produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of histamine-stimulated PLC activity in bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin cells. Low extracellular [Cl-] (10 mM) produced a similar degree of inhibition. While the mechanism(s) responsible for this inhibition are not resolved it may be significant that low extracellular Cl- also reduced the magnitude of the histamine-induced Ca2+ signal. Thus, PLC inhibition may be secondary to a reduction in Ca2+-inflow, a conclusion consistent with the known actions of niflumic acid-type compounds and the previously reported importance of Ca2+-influx in supporting histamine-stimulated PLC activity.