ABSTRACT
The present study focused on the influence of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) on ion transport processes in mouse tracheal epithelium. RT-PCR experiments revealed expression of the α3, α4, α5, α7, α9, α10, ß2, and ß4 nAChR subunits in mouse tracheal epithelium. In Ussing chamber recordings of mouse tracheae, apically applied nicotine (100 µM) induced a dose-dependent increase of the transepithelial short-circuit current (EC(50): 14.6 µM). The nicotine-induced effect (I(NIC)) was attenuated by mecamylamine (25 µM, apical) and methyllycaconitine (1 µM, apical). The nAChR agonist 1.1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperatinium iodide (DMPP) (100 µM) revealed apical and basolateral location of the receptors. I(NIC) was not affected by the sodium channel inhibitor amiloride (10 µM, apical) or the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator inhibitor CFTR(inh)-172 (20 µM, apical) but was reduced by the chloride channel inhibitor 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid (100 µM, apical), the Na(+)/K(+)/2Cl(-) cotransporter inhibitor bumetanide (200 µM, basolateral), the potassium channel inhibitor Ba(2+) (5 mM, basolateral), and 4.4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2.2'-disulfonate (100 µM, apical), indicating a contribution of Ca(2+)-activated chloride channels and potassium channels. Removal of extracellular Na(+) (apical) or Ca(2+) (apical) did not influence I(NIC) but reduced the DMPP effect. Experiments with the Ca(2+)-ionophore A23187, a mix of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine and forskolin, or the inositol-1,4,5-triphospate (IP(3)) receptor inhibitor 2-aminoethyl-diphenyl-borinate (75 µM, apical) decreased I(NIC), indicating a nicotine-mediated increase of intracellular Ca(2+) and cAMP levels involving the IP(3) signaling pathway. These findings indicate the activity of Ca(2+)-permeable nAChRs and alternative metabotropic pathways by nAChR activation that mediate Cl(-) and K(+) transport in tracheal epithelium.
