beta-Adrenoceptor activation increases intracellular cAMP levels and consequently induces exocytotic amylase release in parotid acinar cells. Phosphodiesterase (PDE) catalyses the hydrolysis of cAMP, which terminates the downstream signaling of this second messenger. We investigated the involvement of PDE4, a cAMP-PDE, in beta-adrenoceptor agonist-induced amylase release in mouse, rat and rabbit parotid acinar cells by using the specific PDE4 inhibitor rolipram. cAMP-PDE activity was detected in mouse, rat and rabbit parotid acinar cells. In the presence of rolipram, cAMP-PDE activity was reduced by about 31%, 38% and 33% in mouse, rat and rabbit parotid acinar cells, respectively. The increase in cAMP levels induced by the beta-adrenoceptor agonist isoproterenol was enhanced in the presence of rolipram in mouse, rat and rabbit parotid acinar cells. Isoproterenol-induced amylase release, but not constitutive amylase release, was also enhanced in the presence of rolipram in mouse, rat and rabbit parotid acinar cells. These results suggest that the rolipram-sensitive cAMP-PDE, PDE4, is involved in beta-adrenoceptor agonist-induced amylase release in parotid acinar cells.

Muscarinic cholinergic receptor activation provokes cGMP formation in parotid acinar cells. We investigated the involvement of Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE1) in cGMP breakdown in rabbit parotid acinar cells. The muscarinic agonist carbachol stimulated cGMP formation in the cells. The carbachol-induced cGMP formation was enhanced in the presence of 8-methoxymethyl-3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (MM-IBMX), a PDE1 inhibitor. cGMP-PDE activity in rabbit parotid acinar cells was reduced by about 25% in the absence of Ca 2+ / calmodulin or in the presence of MM-IBMX. Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent cGMP-PDE in rabbit parotid acinar cells was purified using Calmodulin-Sepharose 4B and Mono Q ion-exchange column chromatography. Two dominant fractions with cGMP-PDE activity, referred to as the P-1 and P-2 fractions, were eluted from the Mono Q ion-exchange column. The Km values for cGMP of PDE in the P-1 and P-2 fractions were 0.82 μM and 0.40 μM, respectively, which were much lower than that for cAMP. The EC 50 for Ca 2+ and calmodulin of PDEs in the P-1 and P-2 fractions were 458 nM and 426 nM, respectively, and 32 nM and 137 nM, respectively. Protein bands that crossreacted with anti-PDE1A antibody were detected. These results suggest that Ca 2+