Secretion and biosynthesis of atrial natriuretic factor by cultured adrenal chromaffin cells.

In our previous work, the existence of the precursor and mature forms of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) within the bovine chromaffin granules has been reported. To confirm the endogenous character of these peptides, we demonstrate that nicotinic activation and depolarization by KCl increase their co-secretion from cultured chromaffin cells. The increase of intracellular levels of these atrial peptides by phorbol ester is potentiated by addition of forskolin. The release of ANF and their de novo synthesis within the cultured chromaffin cells emphasize the usefulness of this model in the study of the mechanisms of release and storage of these peptides in the neuronal tissues.