Differential effects of calcium channel antagonists on tityustoxin and ouabain-induced release of [3H]acetylcholine from brain cortical slices.

In this paper, the effect of calcium channel blockers on acetylcholine release induced by tityustoxin and ouabain in rat brain cortical slices is described. Cadmium, a non-specific blocker of calcium channels, inhibited the release of ACh induced by tityustoxin. L-type calcium channel blockers (verapamil, nifedipine and diltiazen) had no effect on the release of ACh induced by tityustoxin. The release of ACh was also unaffected by nickel, a T-type calcium channel blocker, and the conotoxins GVIA and MVIIC, blockers of N and Q-type calcium channels. Agatoxin IVA, a specific blocker of the P-type calcium channel, inhibited the release of ACh induced by tityustoxin by 50%. The spontaneous release of ACh as well as ouabain-induced release of ACh was unaffected by any of the calcium channel blockers studied. It is concluded that ACh release induced by tityustoxin is mediated by Ca2+ influx via P-type calcium channels.