[3H]-DA release evoked by low pH medium and internal H+ accumulation in rat hypothalamic synaptosomes: involvement of calcium ions

The pH fluctuations have been often interpreted as an insufficient regulation or as a consequence of the onset of pathological events, such as ischemia, in which a significant decrease in pH levels occurs. Neurotransmitter release appears to be affected by pH drop significantly. In this study, we investigated the effect of an extracellular and an intracellular acidification on tritiated dopamine release ([3H]-DA release), from superfused rat hypothalamic synaptosomes. When compared to basal release, extracellular acidification, due to a reduction in the external pH of the nominally carbonic-free superfusion media, provoked a significant increase in [3H]-DA release that showed a sensitiveness to calcium omission. Intraterminal acidification, obtained blocking the Na+/H+ exchanger by 5-(N-ethyl-N-isopropyl)-amiloride (EIPA) and 5-(N,N-dimethyl)-amiloride (DMA), induced a significant increase in [3H]-DA outflow which occurred in a calcium-dependent manner (80% inhibition in absence of calcium from superfusion media). To further promote an intraterminal acidification through a H+ inner accumulation, the proton ionophore nigericin was used. At every dose employed (10 M), this compound induced a significant increase in [3H]-DA outflow, compared to basal release. Nigericin-evoked [3H]-DA release showed a 50% decrease when calcium was omitted from superfusion media. When BAPTA-AM, a chelator of intracellular calcium, was added, nigericin-evoked [3H]-DA was completely abolished. These data indicate that [3H]-DA release can be induced by extracellular acidification due to a lowering of external pH and by an intraterminal acidification due to an internal proton accumulation. The mechanism that can trigger this exocytotic process appears to depend on calcium presence, and in particular, on an increased intraterminal calcium availability.