Caffeine- and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-induced 45Ca2+ releases in the microsomes of tracheal epithelial cells.

Major parts of microsomes prepared from the epithelial cells of porcine trachea were tight-sealed vesicles since they showed a saturation of 45Ca2+ uptake and spontaneous releases of stored 45Ca2+ by the treatments of Ca2+-ionophore and Ca2+ channel agonists. In the presence of caffeine (10 mM), the maximal release of microsomal 45Ca2+ was observed at the extramicrosomal Ca2+ concentrations between 0.1 approximately 1 microM and at below or above this range of Ca2+ concentration the releases were decreased, forming a bell-shaped curve. These results indicate that the microsomal 45Ca2+ releases were mediated by ryanodine receptor, a caffeine-sensitive Ca2+ channel. Caffeine (10 mM) released 30.2 +/- 5.9% of microsomal 45Ca2+ while inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3, 10 microM) released 18.4 +/- 3.0% of the stored 45Ca2+. Caffeine-induced and InsP3-induced 45Ca2+ releases were additive, implying that these two types of 45Ca2+ releases are from physically distinct microsomes. Procaine, an antagonist of ryanodine receptor, selectively blocked the effect of caffeine but not the effect of InsP3. The results suggest that the epithelial cells of porcine trachea have caffeine-sensitive Ca2+ store in addition to InsP3-sensitive one.