P2u-purinoceptor regulation of chloride secretion in cultured human tracheal submucosal glands.

We examined the purinergic regulation of chloride secretion and intracellular calcium ion concentration ([Ca2+]i) in the cultured epithelial cells passaged from human tracheal submucosal glands. Adenosine, AMP, ADP, ATP, and UTP induced transient short-circuit current (Isc) responses in a concentration-dependent fashion. The rank order of peak Isc responses at 10 microM concentrations was UTP = ATP > ADP > AMP = adenosine. Diphenylamine-2-carboxylic acid (1 mM) and 4,4'- diisothiocyano-2,2'-stilbene disulfonate (0.5 mM), and quinidine (1 mM) inhibited Isc responses induced by extracellular nucleotides. However, amiloride (10 microM) was without effect. Theophylline (1 mM) did not alter ATP (10 microM)-induced Isc response. Increases in Isc induced by ATP and UTP were significantly larger than those by alpha, beta-methylene ATP, beta, gamma-methylene ATP, or 2-methylthio ATP. Extracellular nucleotides caused increases in [Ca2+]i, and the rank order of [Ca2+]i responses was same as that of Isc responses. 1,2-Bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid-acetoxy-methyl ester (50 microM) inhibited increases in Isc and [Ca2+]i induced by extracellular nucleotides. These results suggest that extracellular nucleotides induce chloride secretion across cultured human tracheal glands via a P2u-purinoceptor, and this chloride secretion appears to be dependent on increases in [Ca2+]i and activation of Ca-dependent K channels.