Effect of adrenergic agents on alpha-amylase release and adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate accumulation in rat parotid tissue slices.

The role of cyclic AMP in stimulus-secretion coupling with investigated in rat parotid tissue slices in vitro. Isoproterenol and norepinephrine stimulated a rapid intracellular accumulation of cyclic AMP, which reached a maximum level of 20-30 times the control value by 5 to 10 min after addition of the drug. Isoproterenol was approximately ten times more potent in stimulating both alpha-amylase release and cyclic AMP accumulation than were norepinephrine and epinephrine, which had nearly equal effects on these two parameters. Salbutamol and phenylephrine were less effectivema parallel order of potency and sensitivity was observed for the stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity in a washed particulate fractionmthe results suggest that these drugs are acting on a parotid acinar cell through a beta1-adrenergic mechanismmat the lowest concentrations tested, each of the adrenergic agonists stimulated significant alpha-anylase release with no detectable stimulation of cyclic AMP accumulationmeven in the presence of theophylline, phenylephrine at several concentrations increased alpha-amylase release without a detectable increase in cyclic AMP levels. However, phenylephrine did stimulate adenylate cyclase. These data suggest that, under certain conditions, large increases in the intra-cellular concentration of cyclic AMP may not be necessary for stimulation of alpha-amylase release by adrenergic agonists. Also consistent with this idea was the observation that stimulation of cyclic AMP accumulation by isoproterenol was much more sensitive to inhibition by propranolol than was the stimulation of alpha-amylase release by isoproterenol. Stimulation of alpha-amylase release by phenylephrine was only partially blocked by either alpha- or beta-adrenergic blocking agents, whereas stimulation of adenylate cyclase by phenylephrine was blocked by propranolol and not by phentolaminemphenoxybenzamine and phentolamine potentiated the effects of norepinephrine and isoproterenol on both cyclic AMP accumulation and alpha-amylase release by N-6,O-2'-dibutyryl adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate; These observations may indicate a non-specific action of phenoxybenzamine, and demonstrate the need for caution in interpreting evidence obtained using alpha-adrenergic blocking agents as tools for investigation of alpha- and beta-adrenergic antagonism.