Menadione inhibits the alpha 1-adrenergic receptor-mediated increase in cytosolic free calcium concentration in hepatocytes by inhibiting inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-dependent release of calcium from intracellular stores.

In order to establish the mechanism of perturbation of hormonally regulated calcium homeostasis in hepatocytes caused by menadione, the effects of menadione on hepatic alpha 1-adrenergic receptors and on alpha 1-adrenergic receptor-mediated increase in cytosolic free calcium concentration were determined. Menadione had no detectable effect on the alpha 1-adrenergic receptor but significantly inhibited (-)-epinephrine-dependent increases in intracellular free calcium concentration in Quin2 acetoxymethyl ester-loaded hepatocytes. The hormonally induced increase in intracellular free calcium concentration is caused by formation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) which binds to a specific receptor and causes a release of intracellular ATP-dependently sequestrated calcium. The IP3-stimulated release of calcium from intracellular pools in hepatocytes was inhibited to a great extent after treatment with menadione. This inhibition could also be observed after treatment of hepatocytes with p-benzoquinone and N-ethylmaleimide and could not be reversed by the thiol-reducing reagent dithiothreitol which indicated covalent binding to an essential free sulfhydryl group. The inhibition of IP3-dependent release of intracellular calcium was accompanied by a large increase in the number of detectable IP3 receptors without any change in the dissociation constant as determined in permeabilized hepatocytes. The increase in IP3 receptors caused by menadione could be reversed by dithiothreitol which suggests the involvement of free sulfhydryl groups. It is concluded that the IP3 receptor plays an important role in the mechanism of menadione-induced perturbation of hormonally regulated calcium homeostasis in rat hepatocytes.