ATP Reduces the Entry of Calcium Ions into the Nerve Ending by Blocking L-type Calcium Channels.

At neuromuscular junctions, ATP inhibits both the evoked and spontaneous acetylcholine release and inward calcium current operating via presynaptic P2Y receptors. It was shown in the experiments with the frog neuromuscular synapse using specific calcium-sensitive dye Oregon Green Bapta 1 that exogenous ATP reduces the amplitude of calcium transient, which reflects the changes in the entry of calcium ions in response to the nerve pulse. The depressing effect of ATP on the transient was prevented by suramin, the blocker of P2 receptors. Nitrendipine, a specific blocker of L-type calcium channels, per se decreased the calcium transient amplitude and significantly attenuated the effect of ATP on the calcium signal. Contrariwise, the preliminary application of ATP to the neuromuscular junction completely eliminated the depressing effect of nitrendipine on the calcium response. The obtained data suggest that an essential component in the inhibitory action of ATP on the calcium transient amplitude is provided by reduction of the entry of calcium ions into a frog nerve ending via L-type voltage-gated calcium channels.

Involvement of dihydropyridine-sensitive calcium channels in high asynchrony of transmitter release in neuromuscular synapses of newborn rats.

Experiments on neuromuscular synapses of rats at different stages of ontogenesis have been performed. It has been found that one of the reasons of higher asynchrony of the release of single quanta of acetylcholine in the synapses of newborn animals is the activity of the presynaptic dihydropyridine-sensitive calcium channels of the L-type.

Voltage-dependent P/Q-type calcium channels at the frog neuromuscular junction.

It is well known that antagonists of N-type voltage-gated calcium channels inhibit the evoked quantal release of acetylcholine in amphibian neuromuscular synapses. This, however, does not exclude the functional expression of other types of voltage-gated calcium channels in these nerve terminals. Using immunocytochemistry, we detected the expression of the alpha1A subunit of P/Q-type calcium channels (that is otherwise typical of mammalian motor nerve endings) in the frog neuromuscular junction. In addition, we demonstrated that the P/Q-type channel blocker omega-agatoxin IVA (20 nM) reduced the action potential-induced calcium transient and significantly decreased both spontaneous and evoked mediator release. Our data indicates the functional expression of P/Q-type calcium channels in the frog motor nerve ending which participate in acetylcholine release.

[Calcium modulation of the release kinetics of the acetylcholine quanta generating multiquantal postsynaptic response].

The effects of calcium on the quantal content of nerve-evoked endplate currents (EPC) and on the temporal parameters of quantal release were studied in the frog neuromuscular synapse using the method of "subtractions". It was shown that under physiological conditions quanta generating multiquantal postsynaptic responses were released nonsynchronously because of a considerable variability of latencies of the uniquantal responses forming multiquantal EPC. Different calcium dependences for EPCs quantal content and time course of the quantal release were revealed. The average quantal content grew exponentially with the increase in calcium concentration from 0.4 to 1.8 mmol/L, whereas the release synchronicity reached the maximum at 1 mmol/L calcium. It was suggested that the changes in the synchronicity of the evoked release were one of the mechanisms of the synaptic plasticity.

[Changes in the kinetics of quanta secretion-effective mechanism of synaptic transmission modulation].

It is widely accepted that the leading presynaptic mechanisms underlying the synaptic plasticity involve changes of the number of neurotransmitter quanta released by one nerve pulse (the quantal content of postsynaptic response) and of the size of a single quantum. In addition, the existence of one more effective though previously ignored mechanism of modulation of synaptic plasticity was suggested related to the change in the time course (kinetics) of secretion of single neurotransmitter quanta forming the multiquantal response. This article reviews current data (including the authors' own results) on the kinetics of evoked neurotransmitter quanta secretion from motor nerve endings in peripheral synapses, mechanisms of their modulation and methods of quantitative analysis.

[The influence of hindlimb unloading on the effectiveness of modulation of the mediator secretion via the autoreceptor system].

In experiments on neuromuscular synapses of rat fast (m. Extensor digitorum longus, EDL) and slow (m. soleus) skeletal muscles, changes in the intensity of spontaneous quantal mediator secretion in response to the activation of presynaptic cholinoreceptors by the nonhydrolyzable acetylcholine analogue carbachol and to an increase in K+ concentration in the control group of animals and in animals subjected to different terms of unloading of hindlimbs have been compared. The intensity of spontaneous secretion of mediator quanta was evaluated from the mean frequency of miniature endplate potentials. In the control group of animals, the frequency of miniature endplate potentials by the action of carbachol increased by 363% in m. EDL and by 62% in m. soleus. The frequency of miniature endplate potentials in the synapses of m. EDL was more sensitive to K(+)-induced depolarization too. The bearing unloading of hindlimbs abolished the sensitivity of spontaneous secretion to carbachol in the synapses of m. EDL, whereas in m. soleus it was unchanged. However, the preservation of sensitivity of nerve endings of fast muscle to K(+)-induced depolarization allows one to assume that the hindlimb unloading leads to a decrease in the number of functioning presynaptic receptors.

[Mechanism of carbachol and adenosine action on spontaneous quantal mediator release at frog neuromuscular junction].

Experiments on the frog sartorius muscle showed that nonhydrolisable acetylcholine analog carbachol (CCh) depresses spontaneous quantal mediator release via muscarinic M2 receptors of nerve ending. Adenosine (Ade) acting via inhibitory A1 receptors is another strong spontaneous quantal release modulator. Inhibition of pertussis toxin (PTx)-sensitive G-proteins only partly eliminated CCh and Ade depressive action. It means metabotropic A1 and M2 receptors of the frog nerve ending regulate spontaneous quantal release via activating of both PTx-sensitive and PTx-insensitive inhibitory mechanisms.

Negative cross-talk between presynaptic adenosine and acetylcholine receptors.

Functional interactions between presynaptic adenosine and acetylcholine (ACh) autoreceptors were studied at the frog neuromuscular junction by recording miniature end-plate potentials (MEPPs) during bath or local application of agonists. The frequency of MEPPs was reduced by adenosine acting on presynaptic adenosine A1 receptors (EC(50) = 1.1 microm) or by carbachol acting on muscarinic M2 receptors (EC(50) = 1.8 microm). However, carbachol did not produce the depressant effect when it was applied after the action of adenosine had reached its maximum. This phenomenon implied that the negative cross-talk (occlusion) had occurred between A1 and M2 receptors. Moreover, the occlusion was receptor-specific as ATP applied in the presence of adenosine continued to depress MEPP frequency. Muscarinic antagonists [atropine or 1-[[2-[(diethylamino)methyl)-1-piperidinyl]acetyl]-5,11-dihydro-6H-pyrido [2,3-b][1,4]benzodiazepine-6-one) (AFDX-116)] had no effect on the inhibitory action of adenosine and adenosine antagonists [8-(p-sulfophenyl)theophylline (8-SPT) or 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPCPX)] had no effect on the action of carbachol. These data suggested that membrane-delimited interactions did not occur between A1 and M2 receptors. Both carbachol and adenosine similarly inhibited quantal release triggered by high potassium, ionomycin or sucrose. These results indicated a convergence of intracellular pathways activated by M2 and A1 receptors to a common presynaptic effector located downstream of Ca(2+) influx. We propose that the negative cross-talk between two major autoreceptors could take place during intense synaptic activity and thereby attenuate the presynaptic inhibitory effects of ACh and adenosine.

Different sensitivity of miniature endplate currents of the rat extensor digitorum longus, soleus and diaphragm muscles to a novel acetylcholinesterase inhibitor C-547.

A novel derivative of 6-methyluracil, C-547, increased the amplitude and prolonged the duration of miniature endplate currents (MEPCs) which is typical for acetylcholinesterase inhibition. In the soleus and extensor digitorum longus significant potentiation was detected at nanomolar concentrations. In contrast, in the diaphragm muscle, the increase in the amplitudes of the MEPCs and the decay time constant appeared only when the concentration of C-547 was elevated to 1 x 10(-7) M. Possible consequences for the exploitation of this drug, which can selectively inhibit AChE in particular synapses, are discussed.

Spontaneous quantal and non-quantal release of acetylcholine at mouse endplate during onset of hypoxia.

At 20 (0)C, both quantal and non-quantal spontaneous acetylcholine release (expressed as miniature endplate potential frequency [f-MEPPs] and the H-effect, respectively) increased during the first 30 min of hypoxia in solution with normal extracellular calcium ([Ca(2+)](o) = 2.0 mM). The hypoxia-induced tenfold increase of the f-MEPPs was virtually absent in low calcium solution([Ca(2+)](o) = 0.4 mM) whereas there was still a significant increment of non-quantal release. This indicates that each of these two processes of acetylcholine release is influenced by mechanisms with different oxygen sensitivity. The rise of f-MEPPs during the onset of hypoxia apparently requires Ca(2+) entry into the nerve terminal, whereas the non-quantal release can be increased by another factors such as a lower level of ATP.

Calcium dependence of uni-quantal release latencies and quantal content at mouse neuromuscular junction.

Uni-quantal endplate currents (EPC) were recorded at mouse diaphragm neuromuscular synapse by extracellular microelectrode during motor nerve stimulation. The probability of release expressed as quantal content m(o), and variability of synaptic latencies expressed as P90 were estimated in the presence of extracellular calcium ([Ca2+]o) varying between 0.2 and 0.6 mM in the bathing solution. At 0.2 mM ([Ca2+]o), m(o) was low (0.10) and many of long-latency EPCs were present during the late phase of the release (P90 = 2.44 ms). No change in m(o) was found when ([Ca2+]o) was 0.3 mM, but P90 decreased by 39 %. For latency shortening, saturating concentration of ([Ca2+]o) was 0.4 mM, when P90 was 1.49 ms and latencies did not further change at 0.5 and 0.6 mM ([Ca2+]o). In the latter concentrations, however, an increase of m(o) was still observed. It can be concluded that the early phase of the secretion did not significantly change when ([Ca2+]o) was raised and that only the late phase of the release depends on extracellular calcium up to 0.4 mM.

Long release latencies are increased by acetylcholine at frog endplate.

Uni-quantal endplate currents (EPCs) were recorded extracellularly at the frog neuromuscular synapse and their latency dispersions expressed as P(90) were estimated in the presence of acetylcholine. Stimulation-evoked EPCs with long release latencies increased in number when acetylcholine was applied. P90, which is designated as the interval between the minimal synaptic delay and the time at which 90 per cent of all measured uni-quantal EPCs had occurred, was significantly and reversibly increased by 66 per cent from 0.51 ms to 0.85 ms in the presence of 5x10(-4) M acetylcholine. This indicates that the evoked release pattern is less synchronous and the increased asynchrony leads to a substantial drop (by 28 per cent) in the amplitude of reconstructed multi-quantal currents.

The effects of carbachol on the proximal and distal parts of frog motor nerve endings.

Cholinomimetics not only activate postsynaptic cholinoreceptors in neuromuscular synapses, but also alter the process of acetylcholine secretion from nerve endings. However, the mechanism of action of cholinomimetics on the secretory process remains unidentified. We approached the question of the mechanism of the presynaptic action of cholinomimetics in the present study by investigating the effects of the n,m-cholinomimetic carbachol on nerve ending currents and postsynaptic membrane currents. Carbachol induced decreases in the postsynaptic response, without affecting the duration and amplitude of the nerve ending current in both the central and distal part of the nerve ending. However, carbachol increased the time between the arrival of the presynaptic action potential and the start of transmitter secretion. This effect on synaptic delay was more marked in the distal parts of the ending. The action of another potential modulator, extracellular potassium, was accompanied by decreases in presynaptic currents and also by increases in synaptic delay. These data provide evidence for the suppressive effect of carbachol on acetylcholine secretion acting via presynaptic metabotropic cholinoreceptors which control the level and time course of secretion of neurotransmitter quanta.