The oxyntic mucosa is rich in ECL cells. They secrete histamine and chromogranin A-derived peptides, such as pancreastatin, in response to gastrin and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP). Secretion is initiated by Ca 2+ entry. While gastrin stimulates secretion by opening L-type and N-type Ca 2+ channels, PACAP stimulates secretion by activating L-type and receptor-operated Ca 2+ channels. Somatostatin, galanin and prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2) inhibit gastrin- and PACAP-stimulated secretion from the ECL cells. In the present study, somatostatin and the PGE 2 congener misoprostol inhibited gastrin- and PACAP-stimulated secretion 100%, while galanin inhibited at most 60–65%. Bay K 8644, a specific activator of L-type Ca 2+ channels, stimulated ECL-cell secretion, an effect that was inhibited equally effectively by somatostatin, misoprostol and galanin (75–80% inhibition). Pretreatment with pertussis toxin, that inactivates inhibitory G-proteins, prevented all three agents from inhibiting stimulated secretion (regardless of the stimulus). Pretreatment with nifedipine (10 μM), an L-type Ca 2+ channel blocker, reduced PACAP-evoked pancreastatin secretion by 50–60%, gastrin-evoked secretion by ∼ 80% and abolished the response to Bay K 8644. The nifedipine-resistant response to PACAP was abolished by somatostatin and misoprostol but not by galanin. Gastrin and PACAP raised the intracellular Ca 2+ concentration in a biphasic manner, believed to reflect mobilization of internal Ca 2+ followed by Ca 2+ entry. Somatostatin and misoprostol blocked Ca 2+ entry (and histamine and pancreastatin secretion) but not mobilization of internal Ca 2+. The present observations on isolated ECL cells suggest that Ca 2+ entry rather than mobilization of internal Ca 2+ triggers exocytosis, that gastrin and PACAP activate different (but over-lapping) Ca 2+ channels, that somatostatin, misoprostol and galanin interact with inhibitory G-proteins to block Ca 2+ entry via L-type Ca 2+ channels, and that somatostatin and misoprostol (but not galanin) in addition block N-type and/or receptor-operated Ca 2+ channels.
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