Modulation of secretion by dopamine involves decreases in calcium and nicotinic currents in bovine chromaffin cells.

1. Catecholamine secretion from cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells was decreased in a dose-dependent manner by the D2 dopamine agonists apomorphine and LY 17 1555. 2. 45Ca2+ uptake was similarly inhibited and whole-cell Ca2+ currents were reduced by apomorphine. 3. These inhibitory effects of D2 agonists depended on the secretagogue used, being much more pronounced for nicotine-evoked responses compared to high K+ stimulation, indicating another possible site of action of apomorphine up-stream of Ca2+ entry. 4. Inhibition by apomorphine of nicotine-evoked responses could not be explained by competitive antagonism against nicotine or DMPP (1,1-dimethyl-4-phenyl-piperazinium iodide). 5. Apomorphine caused reductions of inward whole-cell nicotinic current evoked by ACh and nicotine. 6. Inhibition of nicotine-evoked secretion and 22Na+ influx by apomorphine were not affected by tetrodotoxin, and voltage-dependent, whole-cell Na+ currents were unaltered by apomorphine. 7. No evidence was obtained for increases in K+ conductance by apomorphine. 8. Action potentials recorded in whole-cell current clamp were blocked by apomorphine when they were triggered by nicotinic depolarization but not when they were elicited by direct electrical stimulation. 9. Inclusion of GDP-beta-S in the pipette internal solution did not affect apomorphine-dependent inhibition of nicotinic-evoked responses, while the decrease in whole-cell Ca2+ current induced by apomorphine was completely inhibited in the presence of GDP-beta-S. 10. Increases in cyclic AMP caused by cholera toxin and forskolin did not change the apomorphine-dependent inhibitory effects on nicotine-evoked secretion, indicating that changes in cyclic AMP levels caused by dopamine receptor stimulation are probably not involved.