Abstract
Some divalent ions, such as Cd2+ and Zn2+, are able to stimulate phosphoinositide (PI) breakdown and to inhibit receptor-mediated PI metabolism. These ions are also known to react with the free -SH groups of proteins. This prompted us to investigate the effects of more potent sulphydryl reagents, Hg2+ and p-chloromercuric benzosulphonic acid (PCMBS), on the inositol phosphate (IP) accumulation triggered by the neuroactive substances: glutamate, carbachol and K+, using synaptoneurosomes from 8-day-old rat forebrains. Hg2+ and PCMBS, depending on their concentration, had two distinct effects on IP accumulation: at low doses, Hg2+ (from 1 to 10 microM) and PCMBS (0.1 mM) by themselves stimulated PI breakdown, inhibited glutamate-elicited IP accumulation and had additive effects with respect to carbachol-induced IP stimulation. At higher doses, Hg2+ (from 0.01 to 1 mM) inhibited both basal and neuroactive substance-stimulated IP accumulation. PCMBS (1 mM), provoked only an inhibition of the agonist-stimulated IP formation. Monitoring membrane potential and intracellular Ca2+ with the fluorescent dyes diSC2(5) and fura2, respectively, indicated that these mercurials could strongly depolarize the synaptoneurosomal membrane and produce a Ca2+ influx dependent on extracellular Ca2+. The stimulatory effects of low concentrations of mercurials on PI turnover could be linked to the depolarization they provoke and the subsequent Ca2+ rise, which in turn is known to stimulate some phospholipase C enzymes. The inhibitory effects observed at high concentrations might be due to a loss of activity of proteins involved in PI breakdown, as all receptor-mediated IP accumulations were inhibited.