Biphasic rise caused by extracellular ATP in intracellular calcium concentration in bovine adrenocortical fasciculata cells.

We examined the effect of extracellular ATP on intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in bovine adrenocortical fasciculata cells. The suspended cells and the monolayer cells on coverslips were loaded with fura2. We found that ATP caused a rapid transient rise [Ca2+]i in dose-dependent manner in the presence of extracellular Ca2+ and that the rise in [Ca2+]i caused by ATP was biphasic. We did not observe the second phase in the absence of extracellular Ca2+. These results suggest that the first rise in [Ca2+]i caused by ATP is due to Ca2+ release from intracellular Ca2+ stores and subsequent rise due to Ca2+ influx across the plasma membrane. Furthermore, we found that the first phase of the monolayer cells consisted of two peaks. So it is possible that Ca2+ release from intracellular Ca2+ stores caused by ATP is induced by two different manners in adrenocortical fasciculata cells. In addition, monolayer cells are more useful than suspended ones in the examination of Ca2+ mobilization in adrenocortical fasciculata cells.