P2-purinergic receptors in human breast tumor cells: coupling of intracellular calcium signaling to anion secretion.

ATP increases intracellular Ca++ ([Ca++]i) by activating different P2-purinoreceptors. Because ATP increases Cl- secretion in cystic fibrosis (CF)-affected epithelia, the current study was designed to establish the link between these two events. Studies were done in epithelial, human MCF-7 breast tumor cells in which the presence of mRNA transcripts encoding CF transmembrane conductance regulator was initially established. Changes in [Ca++]i were measured in single cells by fluorescence microscopy; anion transport was measured by 125I efflux. ATP stimulated concentration-dependent increases in [Ca++]i and 125I efflux from MCF-7 cells. The relative order of agonist potency of various selective P2-purinoreceptor agonists in increasing [Ca++]i and 125I efflux was: UTP > or = ATP > ADP = AMP; 2-chloro-ATP, 2-methylthio-ATP and AMP-phencyclidine were considerably less potent than ATP. The Ca++ ionophore ionomycin increased both intracellular [Ca++]i and 125I secretion. Exposing cells to the intracellular chelator ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N'-tetra-acetic acid (EGTA)-acetoxymethylester decreased (AM) decreased ATP- and ionomycin-stimulated 125I efflux. Extracellular EGTA did not alter the Ca++ response to ATP, but inhibited the response to ionomycin. The chelator inhibited both ATP- and ionomycin-induced 125I secretion. Exposure of cells to nifedipine did not affect the responsiveness of MCF-7 cells to ATP. The anion transport antagonist 4,4'-diisothiocyananatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid partially inhibited ATP- and cationophore-stimulated increases in [Ca++]i and 125I secretion. The data suggest that activation of P2 receptors in MCF-7 cells leads to an increase in anion transport as a result of the ability of ATP to increase [Ca++]i; moreover, anion channel antagonists may produce their inhibitory effect on 125I secretion, in part, by blocking agonist-induced intracellular Ca++ signaling.