Action potential stimulation reveals an increased role for P/Q-calcium channel-dependent exocytosis in mouse adrenal tissue slices

Chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla receive cholinergic input from the splanchnic nerve. Upon sympathetic activity, chromaffin cells fire action potentials that open voltage-gated calcium channels and evoke the exocytic release of catecholamines. Catecholamines then regulate homeostatic processes such as cardiac output and vascular tone. Thus control of the Ca2+ influx in chromaffin cells represents a target for the regulation of multiple physiological functions. Previous reports utilized square pulse depolarizations to quantify the proportional exocytic response as a function of Ca2+ channel subtype. In this study, we use perforated patch voltage clamp and action potential waveforms to depolarize cells in situ. We analyze Ca2+ current components under conditions that match the dynamic native cell behavior. This approach revealed a greater role for P/Q-type calcium channels in evoked exocytosis than previously reported. Thus, the P/Q-type channels represent a more important control point for the regulation of catecholamine-dependent processes than previously believed.