Botulinum toxin inhibits arachidonic acid release associated with acetylcholine release from PC12 cells.

The molecular mechanisms of depolarization-induced calcium-dependent acetylcholine (ACh) release and its inhibition by botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoTx) are not clear. We studied these mechanisms in an in vitro cholinergic neuronal pheochromocytoma PC12 cell line model. Cultured monolayer PC12 cells were differentiated by treatment with 50 ng/ml nerve growth factor (NGF) for 4 days to enhance cellular ACh synthesis and release. Stimulation of these cells with high K+ (80 mM) in the perfusion medium caused a marked increase (three to four times) in [3H]ACh release in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner. K(+)-stimulated [3H]ACh release was totally inhibited by pretreatment of cells with BoTx (2 nM) for 2 h. High K+ also stimulated the release of arachidonic acid ([3H]AA) from the cell membrane, which was inhibited by BoTx (2 nM). Addition of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitors (quinacrine, 4-bromophenacyl bromide, manoalide) to the perfusion medium inhibited K(+)-stimulated [3H]ACh and [3H]AA release in a dose-dependent manner. Inclusion of exogenous AA, the PLA2 activator melittin, or PLA2 itself prevented the effect of BoTx. These results demonstrate that in NGF-differentiated PC12 cells, AA release is associated with ACh release, BoTx inhibits both processes, and increased AA can protect against BoTx.