Phospholipase C-mediated regulation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 6 channels: implications in active intestinal Ca2+ transport.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 6 (TRPV6) channels play an important role in intestinal Ca(2+) transport. These channels undergo Ca(2+)-induced inactivation. Here we show that Ca(2+) flowing through these channels activates phospholipase C (PLC) leading to the depletion of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP(2)) and formation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in TRPV6-expressing cells. PIP(2) depletion was inhibited by the two structurally different PLC inhibitors 1-[6-[[17beta-methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-yl]amino]hexyl]-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione (U73122) and edelfosine. Ca(2+)-induced inactivation of TRPV6 was also prevented by the PLC inhibitors in whole-cell patch-clamp experiments. Ca(2+) signals in TRPV6-expressing cells were transient upon restoration of extracellular Ca(2+) but were rendered more sustained by the PLC inhibitors. Finally, intestinal Ca(2+) transport in the everted duodenal sac assay was enhanced by edelfosine. These observations suggest that Ca(2+)-induced inactivation of TRPV6 limits intestinal Ca(2+) absorption and raise the possibility that Ca(2+) absorption can be enhanced pharmacologically by interfering with PLC activation.