Amiloride interacts with guanine nucleotide regulatory proteins and attenuates the hormonal inhibition of adenylate cyclase.

The effect of amiloride on the hormonal regulation of adenylate cyclase was studied in the rat anterior pituitary. The diuretic did not alter basal adenylate cyclase but augmented the enzyme activity in an irreversible manner in the presence of guanosine 5'-O-(thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S) stimulated adenylate cyclase at lower concentrations and inhibited at higher concentrations. Amiloride treatment enhanced the stimulatory and abolished the inhibitory phase of GTP gamma S action. In addition, amiloride also attenuated the inhibitory effects of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF 99-126) and angiotensin II on cAMP levels and adenylate cyclase activity. On the other hand, amiloride showed an additive effect on the stimulation exerted by corticotropin-releasing factor and vasoactive intestinal peptide on adenylate cyclase in anterior pituitary and on isoproterenol-stimulated cAMP levels in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells. Pertussis toxin, in the presence of [alpha-32 P]NAD, catalyzed the ADP-ribosylation of two protein bands of Mr 41,000 and 39,000, referred to as Gi and Go, respectively, in the anterior pituitary, and 40,000-Da protein in the aorta, referred to as Gi. Amiloride treatment inhibited the labeling of all these bands in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Similarly, the pertussis toxin-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation of purified Gi from bovine brain was also inhibited by amiloride treatment. However, amiloride had no significant effect on the cholera toxin-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation of Gs. These data suggest that amiloride interacts with the guanine nucleotide regulatory proteins Gi and Go. Modification of Gi results in the attenuation of hormone-induced adenylate cyclase and cAMP inhibition. However, the interaction between amiloride and Go and the consequent Ca2+ mobilization and phosphatidylinositol turnover have to be investigated.