Lead exerts a depression of neurotransmitter release through a blockade of voltage dependent calcium channels in chromaffin cells.

The present work, using chromaffin cells of bovine adrenal medullae (BCCs), aims to describe what type of ionic current alterations induced by lead (Pb) underlies its effects reported on synaptic transmission. We observed that the acute application of Pb lead to a drastic depression of neurotransmitters release in a concentration-dependent manner when the cells were stimulated with both K or acetylcholine, with an IC of 119,57 μM and of 5,19 μM, respectively. This effect was fully recovered after washout.

Aluminum alters excitability by inhibiting calcium, sodium, and potassium currents in bovine chromaffin cells.

Aluminum (Al ) has long been related to neurotoxicity and neurological diseases. This study aims to describe the specific actions of this metal on cellular excitability and neurotransmitter release in primary culture of bovine chromaffin cells. Using voltage-clamp and current-clamp recordings with the whole-cell configuration of the patch clamp technique, online measurement of catecholamine release, and measurements of [Ca ] with Fluo-4-AM, we have observed that Al reduced intracellular calcium concentrations around 25% and decreased catecholamine secretion in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC of 89.