J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 263, Issue 18, 8604-8610, 06, 1988
The effects of adrenalectomy on the alpha-adrenergic regulation of cytosolic free calcium in hepatocytes
CC Freudenrich and AB Borle
Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261.
We have previously published that bilateral adrenalectomy in the rat
reduces the Ca2+-mediated alpha-adrenergic activation of hepatic
glycogenolysis, while it increases the cellular calcium content of
hepatocytes. In the experiments presented here, the concentration of
cytosolic free calcium (Ca2+i) at rest and in response to epinephrine was
measured in aequorin-loaded hepatocytes isolated from sham and
adrenalectomized male rats. We found that in adrenalectomized rats the
resting Ca2+i was elevated, the rise in Ca2+i evoked by epinephrine was
reduced, and the rise in 45Ca efflux that follows such stimulation was
depressed. Furthermore, the slope of the relationship between Ca2+i and
calcium efflux was decreased 60% in adrenalectomized. Adrenalectomy did not
change Ca2+ release from intracellular calcium pools in response to IP3 in
saponin-permeabilized hepatocytes. The EC50 for inositol 1,4,5-
triphosphate and the maximal Ca2+ released were similar in both sham and
adrenalectomized animals. Finally, the liver calmodulin content determined
by radioimmunoassay was not significantly different between sham and
adrenalectomized rats. These results suggest that 1) adrenalectomy reduces
calcium efflux from the hepatocyte, probably by an effect on the plasma
membrane (Ca2+-Mg2+)-ATPase-dependent Ca2+ pump and thus alters cellular
calcium homeostasis; 2) adrenalectomy decreases the rise in Ca2+i in
response to epinephrine; 3) this decreased rise in Ca2+i is not due to
defects in the intracellular Ca2+ storage and mobilization processes; and
4) the effects of adrenalectomy on cellular calcium metabolism and on
alpha-adrenergic activation of glycogenolysis are not caused by a reduction
in soluble calmodulin.