Inhibition of calcium uptake and catecholamine release by 8-(N,N-diethylamino)-octyl-3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate hydrochloride (TMB-8) in cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells.

Effects of intracellular calcium antagonists, 8-(N,N-diethylamino)-octyl-3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate hydrochloride (TMB-8) and 1-(5-(p-nitrophenyl)-furfurylidene-amino) hydantoin sodium hydrate (dantrolene sodium), on catecholamine release and 45Ca2+ uptake were studied using cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. TMB-8 inhibited carbamylcholine-evoked catecholamine release and 45Ca2+ uptake in a concentration-dependent manner with a similar potency. On the contrary, dantrolene sodium did not show obvious inhibitory effects of catecholamine release and 45Ca2+ uptake. Although TMB-8 inhibited the high K+-evoked catecholamine release and 45Ca2+ uptake, the potency of the drug was approximately 100-fold less than when used to inhibit the carbamylcholine-evoked catecholamine release and 45Ca2+ uptake. The inhibitory effect of TMB-8 on the carbamylcholine-evoked catecholamine release was not overcome by an increase in an extracellular calcium concentration, and was not due to competitive antagonism at the nicotinic receptor site. Moreover, TMB-8 inhibited the carbamylcholine-stimulated 45Ca2+ efflux, but dantrolene sodium failed to affect it. These results suggest that TMB-8, a well-known intracellular calcium antagonist, prevents the cellular calcium uptake in cultured adrenal chromaffin cells, and thus prevents catecholamine release.