Stimuli of pepsinogen secretion from frog isolated peptic cells

The authors have previously studied pepsinogen (Pg) secretion from isolated intact esophageal mucosa of the bullfrog R. catesbeiana. By stimulus-response studies using agonists and antagonists they characterized specific stimulation of cholinergic, adrenergic and peptidergic receptors and interaction of cAMP and Ca/sup 2 +/ dependent pathways. To understand cell mechanisms more definitively and to relate these to morphology it was necessary to isolate peptic cells. Esophageal mucosa was digested with 0.1% collagenase for 80-100 min and sieved through teflon mesh. One esophagus yielded approximately 10/sup 7/ cells, 70% pure and 89 +/- 5% viable. Basal secretion was 3% of Pg content/hr. The cells responded to graded concentrations of bombesin, bethanechol, IBMX, 8Br-cAMP, forskolin, TPA (12-0-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13 acetate) and A23187. The response to (TPA + A23187) was double the additive single output values; (TPA + A23187 + forskolin) stimulated secretion of more than double the sum of the 3 component stimuli. In calcium and magnesium-free medium, the A23187 response and the synergistic response of combinations were both lost. They have identified 3 messengers for Pg cell stimulation - cAMP, Ca/sup 2 +/ mobilization and protein kinase C - each of which can be separately stimulated, and when combined are strongly synergistic.