GABAA and GABAB receptors are functionally active in the regulation of catecholamine secretion by bovine chromaffin cells.

GABA stimulates the basal catecholamine release from adrenal bovine chromaffin cells in a calcium-dependent manner. This release represents about 70% of that obtained by similar doses of nicotine under similar experimental conditions. This effect is mediated by GABAA receptor sites present in chromaffin cells, since it was mimicked by muscimol and reversed by bicuculline. In addition, GABA, through its GABAA receptors, increases the catecholamine release evoked by submaximal doses of nicotine, but it has no effect on nicotine-evoked secretion of catecholamines when nicotine was given at maximal doses. These results seem to indicate that both nicotine and GABA release catecholamines from the same intracellular pool. In contrast, baclofen, a GABAB receptor agonist, depressed both basal and nicotine-evoked catecholamine release; this result indicates that in addition to GABAA control of catecholamine secretion by chromaffin cells, there is a GABAB control of this function. These results support the existence of a dual regulation of catecholamine secretion by both the GABAA and GABAB receptors in a similar way as that proposed for muscarinic and nicotinic cholinergic receptors.