Isolated parotid acinar cells were perifused in small columns by embedding them in Bio-Gel P-2 beads as an inert supporting matrix, and the effect of carbamylcholine, substance P, and isoproterenol on the rate of amylase release was examined by measuring amylase activity in the effluent. Amylase release by continuous stimulation with carbamylcholine and substance P was biphasic. They caused a rapid and large increase in the rate of amylase release that reached maximum 30 to 60s after the onset of stimulation, followed by a rapid decline to a lower sustained level that was maintained as long as the agonists were present. The rapid decline in the rate of amylase release was due to rapid development of refractoriness. Repeated 1 min pulse stimulation with these secretagogues showed that recovery from refractoriness was also rapid in onset, and 1 min of washout was sufficient to cause significant recovery from refractoriness for both carbamylcholine and substance P. Recovery, however, was not complete after 10 min of washout. Amylase release by continuous stimulation with isoproterenol, on the other hand, developed more slowly with the peak rate being attained at about 6 min after the onset of stimulation. Refractoriness was not observed in the effect of isoproterenol. The maximum effect in the rate of amylase release attained by carbamylcholine or substance P was higher than that by isoproterenol. These results suggest that the apparent small effect of carbamylcholine and substance P on amylase release reported earlier by using batch systems is probably due to the rapid development of refractoriness to these secretagogues, but not to isoproterenol.

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It was found that methacholine and carbamylcholine, in addition to their known inhibitory effect, augmented the effect of isoproterenol on tissue cyclic AMP accumulation. The effect of methacholine was dose dependent, and significant augmentation was obtained at 0.1 µM with the maximum being attained at about 0.5 µM, whereas more than 10 , LM were required to obtain the inhibitory effect.

The role of cyclic AMP in a-amylase release by catecholamines was studied in rat parotid slices. The order of potency required for cate

Parotid slices respond to