Effects of protein kinase inhibitors on morphology and function of cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells: KN-62 inhibits secretory function by blocking stimulated Ca2+ entry.

In cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells, a nonselective protein kinase inhibitor, staurosporine, inhibits secretory function and induces neurite outgrowth. In the present study, effects of other nonselective protein kinase inhibitors (K-252a, H-7, and H-8) and reportedly selective protein kinase inhibitors (KN-62 and chelerythrine chloride) were examined on bovine adrenal chromaffin cell morphology, secretory function, and 45Ca2+ uptake. Treatment of chromaffin cells with 10 microM K-252a, 50 microM H-7, or 50 microM H-8 induced changes in cell morphology within 3 h; these compounds also induced a time-dependent inhibition of stimulated catecholamine release. Chelerythrine chloride, a selective inhibitor of Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent protein kinase, did not induce outgrowth or inhibit secretory function under our treatment conditions. KN-62, a selective inhibitor of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMK II), significantly inhibited stimulated catecholamine release (IC50 value of 0.32 microM), but had no effect on cell morphology. The reduction of secretory function induced by 1 microM KN-62 was significant within 5 min and rapidly reversible. Unlike H-7, H-8, and staurosporine, KN-62 significantly inhibited stimulated 45Ca2+ uptake. KN-04, a structural analogue of KN-62 that does not inhibit CaMK II, inhibited stimulated 45Ca2+ uptake and catecholamine release like KN-62. These studies indicate that KN-62 inhibits secretory function via the direct blockade of activated Ca2+ influx. The nonselective inhibitors, K-252a, H-7, H-8, and staurosporine, inhibit secretory function by another mechanism, perhaps one involving alterations in the cytoskeleton.