Primary monolayer cultures of rat epididymal cells have been shown to secrete chloride and bicarbonate when stimulated with beta-adrenergic agents, humoral agents and vasoactive peptides. The intracellular messengers mediating the secretory response are unknown. In this study intracellular AMP, Ca2+ and inositol phosphates were measured in epididymal monolayers at rest and upon stimulation with various secretory agonists. Adrenaline, forskolin, lysylbradykinin, prostaglandin, endothelin, angiotensin II, antidiuretic hormone and vasoactive intestinal peptide at concentrations that stimulate anion secretion caused a rise in intracellular cyclic AMP. The increase in cyclic AMP by adrenaline was blocked by propranolol but not by phentolamine. Studies of the concentration-effect relationships showed that for adrenaline and endothelin the EC50 for stimulation of cyclic AMP was higher than that for stimulation of anion secretion. None of these agonists affects intracellular Ca2+ concentration and inositol phosphate contents in epididymal monolayers. Ca2+ ionophores A21387, ionomycin and erythrosin B (with irradiation with white light), at concentrations that stimulate anion secretion, also stimulated a rise in intracellular cyclic AMP and concomitantly increased intracellular Ca2+. The increase in cyclic AMP was dependent on extracellular Ca2+. It is not known whether the secretory response to Ca2+ ionophores was mediated by an increase in cell Ca2+ per se, or cyclic AMP. However, it can be concluded that cyclic AMP is the second messenger which mediates the secretory responses to physiological stimuli.

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