enkephalin--leucine-2-alanine and Pheochromocytoma

The adrenal medulla produces opioids which exert paracrine effects on adrenal cortical and chromaffin cells and on adrenal splanchnic nerves, via specific binding sites. The opioid binding sites in the adrenals are detectable mainly in the medullary part of it and differ in type between species. Thus, the bovine adrenal medulla contains mostly kappa-opioid binding sites and fewer delta- and mu-opioid binding sites while primate adrenals contain mainly delta sites and few kappa-opioid binding sites. Most chromaffin cell tumors, the pheochromocytomas, produce opioids which suppress catecholamine production by the tumor. The aim of the present work was to identify the types of opioid binding sites in human pheochromocytomas. For this purpose, we characterized the opioid binding sites on crude membrane fractions prepared from 14 surgically excised pheohromocytomas and on whole KAT45 cells, a recently characterized human pheochromocytoma cell line. Our data showed that human pheohromocytomas are heterogeneous, as expected, with regard to the production of catecholamines and the distribution and profile of their opioid binding sites. Indeed, only one out of the 14 pheochromocytomas expressed exclusively delta and mu opioid sites, while in the remaining 13 tumors kappa-type binding sites were dominant. The KAT45 cell line possessed a significant number of kappa1 binding sites, fewer kappa2-opioid binding sites and kappa3-opioid binding sites, and minimal binding capacity for delta- and mu-opioid receptor agonists sites. More specifically, the kappa1 sites/cell were approximately 18,000, the kappa2 4500/cell and the kappa3 sites 2000/cell. Our findings for the surgical specimens and the cell line combined with previously published pharmacological data obtained from KAT45 cells suggest that kappa sites appear to be the most prevalent opioid binding sites in pheochromocytomas. Finally, in normal bovine adrenals the profile of opioid binding sites differs in adrenaline and noradrenaline producing chromaffin cells. To test the hypothesis that the type of catecholamine produced by a pheochromocytoma depends on its cell of origin, we compared our binding data with the catecholamine content of each pheochromocytoma examined. We found no correlation between the type of the predominant catecholamine produced and the opioid binding profile of each tumor suggesting that this hypothesis may not be valid.

Topics: Analgesics, Opioid; Binding Sites; Binding, Competitive; Catecholamines; Cell Membrane; Diprenorphine; Dopamine; Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-; Enkephalin, D-Penicillamine (2,5)-; Enkephalin, Leucine-2-Alanine; Enkephalins; Epinephrine; Ethylketocyclazocine; Humans; Narcotic Antagonists; Norepinephrine; Opioid Peptides; Pheochromocytoma; Radioligand Assay; Receptors, Opioid, delta; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Receptors, Opioid, mu; Tritium; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Biochemical studies have suggested a voltage-dependent dihydropyridine-sensitive catecholamine release in adrenal chromaffin cells. This release is inhibited by activation of alpha 2-adrenergic and muscarinic receptors; the underlying molecular mechanism is not known. We used undifferentiated PC-12 cells to study the effect of epinephrine and carbachol on transmembranous currents. Applying the patch-clamp technique in the whole cell configuration and using Ba2+ as charge carrier, we identified a high voltage-activated Ca2+ channel current. Both epinephrine (10 microM, in the presence of 1 microM propranolol) and carbachol (10 microM) reversibly inhibited the Ca2+ channel current by 30-40%. Yohimbine abolished and clonidine mimicked the effect of epinephrine. Phenylephrine failed to inhibit the Ca2+ channel current. The effect of carbachol was abolished by atropine. Epinephrine and carbachol did not affect the Ca2+ channel current reduced by the dihydropyridine, PN 200-110 (1 microM), suggesting a selective inhibition of dihydropyridine-sensitive Ca2+ channels. The Ca2+ channel current and its inhibition by receptor agonists were not influenced by intracellularly applied adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP; 100 microM). Pretreatment of cells with pertussis toxin or intracellular infusion of the GDP analogue guanosine-5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) was without effects on the control Ca2+ channel current but abolished its hormonal inhibition. Four pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins were identified in membranes of PC-12 cells: two members of the Gi family, Gi1 and Gi2, and two members of the Go family, Go2 and another Go subtype (possibly Go1). The present data indicate that activated alpha 2-adrenergic and muscarinic receptors inhibit dihydropyridine-sensitive Ca2+ channels via pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins without the involvement of a cAMP-dependent intermediate step.

Topics: Adrenal Gland Neoplasms; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Atropine; Barium; Calcium Channel Blockers; Calcium Channels; Carbachol; Cell Line; Cell Membrane; Enkephalin, Leucine-2-Alanine; Epinephrine; Evoked Potentials; GTP-Binding Proteins; Immune Sera; Isradipine; Membrane Potentials; Molecular Sequence Data; omega-Conotoxins; Oxadiazoles; Peptides; Peptides, Cyclic; Pertussis Toxin; Pheochromocytoma; Propranolol; Rats; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; Receptors, Muscarinic; Virulence Factors, Bordetella; Yohimbine

We studied the binding of [3H]D-Ala2-D-Leu5-enkephalin ([3H]DADLE) and [3H] diprenorphine to crude plasma membrane fraction obtained from the bovine adrenal medulla (bovine adrenal medullary membranes) in order to characterize adrenal medullary opioid receptors. The [3H] diprenorphine binding was the highest in crude plasma membrane-mitochondrial fraction among all subcellular fractions studied. The amount of [3H] diprenorphine bound to bovine adrenal medullary membranes was proportional to the protein concentration. Association kinetics of the [3H] diprenorphine binding to bovine adrenal medullary membranes showed that the maximal binding was achieved following 8 min incubation and that the binding conformed the second-order kinetics. [3H] DADLE and [3H] diprenorphine bound to bovine adrenal medullary membranes with high affinities. The Kd and Bmax for the [3H] DADLE binding were found to be 2.9 nM and 57.5 fmole/mg protein, respectively, while those for the [3H] diprenorphine binding were 0.31 nM and 250 fmole/mg protein, respectively. Displacement studies showed that the [3H] diprenorphine binding was inhibited dose-dependently by levorphanol, dynorphin (1-13), beta-endorphin and DADLE. Levorphanol was at least 1000-fold more potent to inhibit the [3H] diprenorphine binding than dextrorphan, indicating stereospecificity of the [3H] diprenorphine binding. Na+, Li+ and K+ (100 mM) diminished the [3H] DADLE binding and enhanced [3H] diprenorphine binding. Na+ (100 mM) increased the Kd value for the [3H] DADLE binding from 2.9 nM to 14.1 nM. Mn++, Ca++ and Mg++ diminished the [3H] diprenorphine binding. Mn++ (1 mM) increased the Bmax value for the [3H] DADLE binding from 95 fmole/mg protein to 450 fmole/mg protein. These effects of Na+ and Mn++ on the [3H] diprenorphine binding were found to be dose-dependent. [3H] Diprenorphine binding to the digitonin-solubilized opioid receptor was also inhibited dose-dependently by Mn++. These results suggest that bovine adrenal medullary membranes contain high affinity and stereospecific opioid receptors and that the binding of opioids to the bovine adrenal medullary opioid receptors is influenced by cations. Binding study also revealed the presence of opioid receptors in human malignant pheochromocytoma. The Kd and Bmax of the [3H] diprenorphine binding to crude membrane fraction obtained from malignant pheochromocytoma were found to be 0.14 nM and 10.4 fmole/mg protein, respectively.

Topics: Adrenal Medulla; Animals; Cattle; Diprenorphine; Enkephalin, Leucine; Enkephalin, Leucine-2-Alanine; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Metals; Morphinans; Pheochromocytoma; Receptors, Opioid; Tritium

The expression of opioid receptors and GTP-binding proteins was studied in 14 pheochromocytomas. The amounts of [3H]diprenorphine bound to membranes varied from 13 to 62 fmole/mg protein, but significantly higher in adrenaline-secreting tumors than in noradrenaline-secreting tumors. None of [3H]DADLE, [125I]beta-endorphin or [3H]ethylketocyclazocine binding was correlated with [3H]diprenorphine binding. Gpp(NH)p inhibition of [3H]DADLE binding was evident in all four normal human adrenal medullae but in only 8 out of 14 pheochromocytomas. The extent of Gpp(NH)p inhibition was not correlated with the amount of pertussis toxin (PT)-sensitive GTP-binding proteins as measured by PT-catalyzed [32P]ADP-ribosylation. The present findings suggest that opioid receptors and PT-sensitive GTP-binding proteins are variously expressed in transformed chromaffin cells, pheochromocytoma.

Topics: Adrenal Gland Neoplasms; beta-Endorphin; Cell Membrane; Cyclazocine; Diprenorphine; Enkephalin, Leucine; Enkephalin, Leucine-2-Alanine; Ethylketocyclazocine; GTP-Binding Proteins; Humans; Pheochromocytoma; Receptors, Opioid