Release of cyclic AMP from chicken erythrocytes.

Exposure of chicken erythrocytes to epinephrine results in the appearance of considerable amounts of the nucleotide in the incubation medium. The release of cAMP from the cells to the surrounding medium is dependent upon its overproduction by adenyl cyclase. However, the efflux of cAMP was found not to be directly related to the total intracellular level of the nucleotide. The rate of cAMP release also remains unchanged under conditions of inhibited intracellular degradation of the nucleotide. The data presented suggest that cAMP release is not likely to serve as a regulatory mechanism which participates in the control of intracellular level of the nucleotide. The transport of cAMP from the cells to the surrounding medium was found to be reduced by the presence of NaF, iodoacetate and caffeine.