maitotoxin and Pheochromocytoma

Maitotoxin (MTX) increases formation of [3H]inositol phosphates from phosphoinositides and release of [3H]arachidonic acid from phospholipids in pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. Formation of [3H]inositol phosphates is detected within 1 min of incubation even with concentrations as low as 0.3 ng/ml (90 pm) MTX, whereas release of [3H]arachidonic acid is not detected until 20 min even with concentrations as high as 1 ng/ml (300 pm) MTX. Stimulation of arachidonic acid release can be detected at 0.03 ng/ml (9 pm) MTX, whereas 0.1 ng/ml (30 pm) MTX is the threshold for detection of phosphoinositide breakdown. Organic and inorganic calcium channel blockers, except Cd2+ and a high concentration of Mn2+, have no effect on MTX-elicited phosphoinositide breakdown, whereas inorganic blockers (e.g., Co2+, Mn2+, Cd2+), but not organic blockers (nifedipine, verapamil, diltiazem), inhibit MTX-stimulated arachidonic acid release. All calcium channel blockers, however, inhibited MTX-elicited influx of 45Ca2+ and the MTX-elicited increase in internal Ca2+ measured with fura-2 was markedly reduced by nifedipine. MTX-elicited phosphoinositide breakdown and arachidonic acid release are abolished or reduced, respectively, in the absence of extracellular calcium plus chelating agent. The calcium ionophore A23187 has little or no effect alone but, in combination with MTX, A23187 inhibits MTX-elicited phosphoinositide breakdown and enhances arachidonic acid release, the latter even in the absence of extracellular calcium. The results suggest that different sites and/or mechanisms are involved in stimulation of calcium influx, breakdown of phosphoinositides, and release of arachidonic acid by MTX.

Topics: Adrenal Gland Neoplasms; Animals; Arachidonic Acid; Arachidonic Acids; Calcimycin; Calcium; Calcium Channel Blockers; Calcium Channels; Calcium Radioisotopes; Drug Interactions; Enzyme Activation; Marine Toxins; Oxocins; Pheochromocytoma; Phosphatidylinositols; Phospholipases; Phospholipases A; Rats; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Type C Phospholipases

Maitotoxin (MTX) activates calcium channels and stimulates phosphoinositide breakdown in pheochromocytoma PC12 cells, while having no effect on basal levels of the cyclic nucleotides cAMP and cGMP. Atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) induces a dose-dependent accumulation of cGMP in PC12 cells through the activation of a membrane bound guanylate cyclase. Effects of ANF on cGMP are independent of extracellular concentrations of calcium. Since agents that activate phosphoinositide breakdown can indirectly affect cyclic nucleotide formation, the effects of MTX on ANF-mediated accumulation of cGMP was studied. MTX induces a dose-dependent inhibition of ANF-mediated accumulation of cGMP. The inhibition by MTX requires the presence of extracellular calcium, but is unaffected by the calcium channel blocker nifedipine. The inhibitory effect of MTX is not mimicked by the calcium ionophore ionomycin. A phorbol ester, PMA, which stimulates protein kinase C, also inhibits ANF-mediated accumulation of cGMP. Sodium nitroprusside induces large accumulations of cGMP in PC12 cells through the stimulation of a soluble guanylate cyclase. Neither MTX nor PMA inhibit nitroprusside-mediated accumulation of cGMP. The results indicate that in PC12 cells, protein kinase C activation, either directly with PMA, and indirectly with MTX through phosphoinositide breakdown and formation of diacylglycerol, leads to inhibition of ANF-mediated, but not nitroprusside-mediated accumulation of cGMP.

Topics: Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Calcium; Cyclic GMP; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ionomycin; Marine Toxins; Nifedipine; Nitroprusside; Oxocins; Pheochromocytoma; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; Tumor Cells, Cultured

The marine dinoflagellate toxin maitotoxin (MTX) stimulates phosphoinositide breakdown in pheochromocytoma PC12 cells and in neuroblastoma hybrid NCB-20 cells. In both cell lines, the stimulation of phosphoinositide breakdown by MTX is dependent on extracellular calcium, but it is not reduced by organic or inorganic calcium channel blockers. In PC12 cells, the maximal stimulation of phosphoinositide breakdown occurs at 1.5 mM [Ca2+]o, whereas in NCB-20 cells the maximal stimulation is observed at 2.5-4.5 mM [Ca2+]o. Phosphoinositide breakdown is known to lead to formation of both inositol phosphates and diacylglycerols. The latter, through stimulation of protein kinase C, would, like phorbol esters, be expected to augment cyclic AMP accumulation in PC12 cells and to inhibit receptor-mediated cyclic AMP accumulation in NCB-20 cells. MTX does potentiate forskolin-induced accumulation of cyclic AMP in PC12 cells and does inhibit prostaglandin E2-induced accumulation of cyclic AMP in NCB-20 cells. The effects of MTX on accumulation of cyclic AMP are calcium dependent and the concentrations of calcium required for maximal responses are the same as the ones required for maximal stimulation of phosphoinositide breakdown. MTX increases intracellular calcium in both cell lines, as measured by calcium-quin2 fluorescence. But the effects of MTX on forskolin- and prostaglandin E2-mediated cyclic AMP accumulation are not mimicked by a calcium ionophore and are not blocked by nifedipine, a calcium channel blocker. Translocation of protein kinase C occurs after treatment with MTX in both cell lines; the protein kinase C activity and content are reduced in the cytosol and increased in membranes after exposure to either MTX or a phorbol ester. The results confirm previous studies on the heterogeneous input of protein kinase C to cyclic AMP-generating systems performed with phorbol esters and demonstrate the utility of MTX as a unique tool for studies of systems that involve second messengers generated through stimulation of phosphoinositide breakdown.

Topics: Adrenal Gland Neoplasms; Animals; Biological Transport; Calcium; Cricetinae; Cyclic AMP; Marine Toxins; Oxocins; Pheochromocytoma; Phosphatidylinositols; Protein Kinase C; Rats; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Maitotoxin (MTX) induced exocytotic secretion of ATP from PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells. The threshold for stimulation of secretion was at concentrations of about 2 ng/ml of MTX. Maximal release occurred at 40 ng/ml. MTX-induced ATP release required the presence of calcium in the extracellular medium and could be inhibited by nifedipine, a specific blocker of voltage-dependent calcium channels. In addition to the effects on ATP secretion from PC12 cells, MTX stimulated the breakdown of phosphoinositides, as measured by the accumulation of [3H]inositol phosphates. Maximal stimulation of phosphoinositide breakdown was reached at only 0.5-1.0 ng/ml MTX. MTX at concentrations required to evoke ATP release (greater than 2 ng/ml) had lesser or no effect on phosphoinositide breakdown. Although stimulation of phosphoinositide breakdown by MTX was dependent on extracellular calcium, it was insensitive to the calcium channel blockers nifedipine, D-600 and cobalt ions. The different concentration range required to elicit these responses and the varying sensitivity to calcium channel blockers indicate that MTX-evoked secretion and MTX-stimulated phosphoinositide breakdown are independent phenomena in PC12 cells.

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphate; Adrenal Gland Neoplasms; Animals; Calcium; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Inositol Phosphates; Marine Toxins; Nifedipine; Oxocins; Pheochromocytoma; Phosphatidylinositols; Rats; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Actions of maitotoxin, the most potent marine toxin known obtained from toxic dinoflagellate, Gambier-discus toxicus, were studied using clonal rat pheochromocytoma cells (PC12), rat liver mitochondria and liposomes. Maitotoxin induced a profound release of norepinephrine and dopamine from PC12 cells and the molar ratio of norepinephrine to dopamine was almost the same as that stored in the cells. This releasing action was apparent at a concentration of 5 X 10(-10) g/ml or more, the releasing rate increased with an increase in the concentration of applied maitotoxin and attained maximum at about 10(-6) g/ml. The [3H]norepinephrine release induced by maitotoxin was abolished in the absence of external Ca2+ and increased with increasing concentration of external Ca2+ up to 10 mM. The release gradually decreased as the external Na+ concentrations were reduced from 130 to 20 mM, but maitotoxin is still able to induce a profound release in the absence of external Na+. The releasing action of maitotoxin was markedly suppressed by various Ca2+ channel blockers, such as Mn2+, verapamil, and nicardipine, and by a local anesthetic, tetracaine. The inhibitory actions of Ca2+ channel blockers were antagonized by external Ca2+ and became less obvious in the higher Ca2+ concentration range. Maitotoxin did not exhibit any ionophoretic activities on rat mitochondrial and liposomal membranes. These results suggest that maitotoxin has the ability to activate voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels of PC12 cells.

Topics: Adrenal Gland Neoplasms; Animals; Calcium; Cells, Cultured; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ion Channels; Marine Toxins; Norepinephrine; Oxocins; Pheochromocytoma; Rats; Sodium

Effects of maitotoxin, the most potent marine toxin, were studied using a rat pheochromocytoma cell line, PC12h. A low concentration (10(-8) g/ml) of maitotoxin induced a profound increase in CA2+ influx into PC12h cells and the Ca2+-dependent release of [3H]norepinephrine from them. The effects of maitotoxin were not affected by treatment with tetrodotoxin (10(-6) M) and were observed even in the absence of external Na+. Furthermore, these effects were markedly inhibited or abolished by treatment with verapamil (30-300 microM), Mn2+ (5 mM), or tetracaine (1 mM). These results suggest that maitotoxin activates the voltage-dependent calcium channels of PC12h cells.

Topics: Adrenal Gland Neoplasms; Animals; Calcium; Cell Line; Ion Channels; Kinetics; Manganese; Marine Toxins; Neoplasms, Experimental; Oxocins; Pheochromocytoma; Rats; Tetracaine; Tetrodotoxin; Verapamil