Endothelin- and ATP-induced inhibition of adenylyl cyclase activity in C6 glioma cells: role of Gi and calcium.

Endothelin-1 (ET) and ATP mobilize Ca2+ in rat C6 glioma cells by stimulating phosphoinositide turnover. Both agents also inhibit adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity in C6 glioma cells. The goal of this study was to characterize the molecular mechanisms responsible for the inhibition of AC activity. The administration of either ET, ATP, A23187, or thapsigargin to cells simultaneously with isoproterenol for 5 min inhibited isoproterenol-stimulated cAMP synthesis by a maximum of 60%, 91%, 65%, and 68%, respectively. Pretreatment of cells with pertussis toxin (PTX) did not alter the inhibitory effects of A23187 or thapsigargin, whereas the inhibitory effects of ET or ATP were completely eliminated. Removal of extracellular Ca2+ and 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'- tetraacetic acid acetoxymethyl ester treatment failed to affect the inhibition caused by ET or ATP, whereas the inhibition caused by A23187 or thapsigargin was completely eliminated in Ca(2+)-free medium and was attenuated by 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid acetoxymethyl ester treatment. The inhibition by both receptor agonists in the earlier phase (30 sec) of the AC reaction was, however, reduced by using either Ca(2+)-free medium or PTX pretreatment. The administration of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine or Ro 20-1724 suggested that the inhibitory effects of A23187 and thapsigargin were partially due to Ca(2+)-dependent stimulation of PDE activity. Short term treatment with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) had no effect on isoproterenol-stimulated AC activity. However, the inhibition of cAMP induced by ET or ATP, but not by A23187 or thapsigargin, was diminished by PMA, suggesting that the receptor signal via Gi was blocked by PMA treatment. The antagonistic effect of PMA was blocked by staurosporine. All four agents still inhibited AC activity in cells that had been treated with PMA for 24 hr to deplete protein kinase C. ET produced an additional decrease in AC activity in cells that had been treated with a maximally effective concentration of A23187 or thapsigargin. The ET- or ATP-induced decrease in cAMP levels showed homologous desensitization. These results demonstrate that ETZ receptors and ATP receptors in C6 glioma cells inhibit AC activity primarily by interaction with a PTX-sensitive G(i) and partially by elevation of [Ca(2+)]. Protein kinase C activation is not responsible for agonist-induced inhibition of AC but appears to uncouple the G(i)/AC system activated by ET or ATP.