Tomoyuki Saino

The present study investigated the localization and the adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP)-degrading function of the plasma membrane-bound ecto-nucleotidase, ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 2 (NTPDase2), in the rat adrenal medulla. The effect of ATP degradation product, adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP), on carbachol (CCh)-induced intracellular Ca 2+ ([Ca 2+ ] i ) responses in adrenal chromaffin cells was examined using calcium imaging. NTPDase2-immunoreactive cells were distributed between chromaffin cells. NTPDase2-immunoreactive cells were immunoreactive for glial fibrillary acidic protein and S100B, suggesting that they were sustentacular cells. NTPDase2-immunoreactive cells surrounded chromaffin cells immunoreactive for vesicular nucleotide transporter and P2Y12 ADP-selective purinoceptors. In ATP bioluminescence assays using adrenal medullary slices, ATP was rapidly degraded and its degradation was attenuated by the NTPDase inhibitors sodium polyoxotungstate (POM-1) and 6- N, N-diethyl-d-β,γ-dibromomethylene ATP (ARL67156). ADP inhibited CCh-induced [Ca 2+ ] i increases of chromaffin cells in adrenal medullary slices. The inhibition of CCh-induced [Ca 2+ ] i increases by ADP was blocked by the P2Y12 purinoceptor antagonist AZD1283. CCh-induced [Ca 2+ ] i increases were also inhibited by the P2Y1, P2Y12, and P2Y13 purinoceptor agonist 2-methylthioadenosine diphosphate trisodium (2MeSADP), in combination with the P2Y1 purinoceptor antagonist MRS2179. These results suggest that sustentacular cells express NTPDase2 to degrade ATP released from adrenal chromaffin cells, and ADP modulates the excitability of chromaffin cells via P2Y12 purinoceptors to regulate catecholamine release during preganglionic sympathetic stimuli. (J Histochem Cytochem 72: 41–60, 2024)