Involvement of ion channels in the induction of proenkephalin A gene expression by nicotine and cAMP in bovine chromaffin cells.

The involvement of Na+ and Ca2+ channels in the stimulatory effect of nicotine and cAMP upon proenkephalin A mRNA (mRNA ENK) levels in primary cultures of bovine adrenal chromaffin cells was analyzed. Nicotine (10 microM) caused about a 2-3-fold increase in mRNA ENK which was abolished by the nicotinic receptor antagonist tubocurarine (4 X 10(-7) M), inhibited by the Ca2+ channel antagonist nifedipine (100 nM) abolished by the Ca2+ channel blocker D600 (10 microM), and augmented by the Ca2+ channel agonist BayK 8644 (100 nM). In contrast, blockade of the Na+ channel by tetrodotoxin (1 microM) did not modulate the nicotine-induced increase in mRNA ENK. Incubation of the cells with forskolin (25 microM) and 8-bromo-cAMP (1 mM) also resulted in an increase in mRNA ENK levels that was inhibited by the Ca2+ channel blocker verapamil (50 microM) and nifedipine (100 nM), whereas it was enhanced by BayK 8644 (100 nM). In addition, the effect of forskolin and 8-bromo-cAMP was decreased by the Na+ channel blocker tetrodotoxin (1 microM). These results suggest that the induction of proenkephalin A gene expression by cAMP and nicotine involves the modulation of ion channels. It appears that changes in Ca2+ flux are involved in mediating this induction. The dihydropyridines nifedipine and BayK 8644 and the Ca2+ channel blockers verapamil and D600 all modulate 45Ca uptake. In addition, we show that incubation of the cells with A23187 (10(-7) M), a Ca2+ ionophore, resulted in an increase in mRNA ENK, indicating that changes in intracellular Ca2+ levels may indeed modulate proenkephalin A gene expression. Although it appears that an elevation of mRNA ENK upon nicotinic receptor activation occurs rapidly (an increase could be detected after 2 h incubation), the findings that the rise in mRNA ENK could be abolished by the Ca2+ channel blocker D600 but not affected by tetrodotoxin (1 microM), and that agents such as KCl (20 mM) and veratridine (5 microM) that increase mRNA ENK by activation of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels do not result in an increase in intracellular cAMP, provide no evidence for a major role of the adenylate cyclase system in the inducing effect of nicotine upon proenkephalin A gene expression.