Prolonged stimulation of bovine adrenal chromaffin cells with arachidonic acid and prostaglandin E2 increases expression of the proenkephalin gene and the secretion of [Met5]-enkephalin.

The effects of long-term exposure of bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin (BAMC) cells to arachidonic acid (AA) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) on [Met5]-enkephalin (ME) secretion and expression of the proenkephalin A (proENK) gene were studied. Treatment with various concentrations of AA or PGE2 for 24 hr increased the secretion of ME in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. At high concentrations (10-100 microM), but not low (1-3 microM), AA significantly increased ME secretion by 1 hr. In contrast, the onset time for increase of ME secretion by PGE2 was 3 hr after exposure. The magnitude of increase in ME secretion in the presence of AA or PGE2 continued to increase with time. However, intracellular ME levels in AA- or PGE2-treated cells were not significantly different from that of controls, indicating that elevated levels of ME secretion into the media may be a result of increased biosynthesis of ME. In addition, AA or PGE2 increased proENK mRNA level in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The onset time for the increase in proENK mRNA in response to PGE2 was 6 hr after exposure. The treatment of BAMC cells with 20 microM cycloheximide (a protein synthesis inhibitor) inhibited both the increased secretion of ME and proENK mRNA level induced by AA and PGE2 in a time-dependent manner, indicating that the delayed secretion of ME and the increase in proENK mRNA level induced by AA and PGE2 require protein synthesis. Indomethacin (a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, 10 microM) effectively inhibited AA-induced responses, whereas 10 microM nordihydroguaiaretic acid (a lipoxygenase inhibitor) was inactive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)