Mechanisms of desensitization of the adrenocorticotropin response to arginine vasopressin in ovine anterior pituitary cells

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) stimulates adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) secretion from corticotroph cells of the anterior pituitary via activation of the V1b vasopressin receptor, a member of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family. Recently, we have shown that treatment of ovine anterior pituitary cells with AVP for short periods results in reduced responsiveness to subsequent stimulation with AVP. The aim of this study was to investigate mechanisms involved in this desensitization process. Among the GPCR family, rapid desensitization is commonly mediated by receptor phosphorylation, with resensitization being mediated by internalization and subsequent dephosphorylation of the receptors by protein phosphatases. Since desensitization of V1a vasopressin receptors is mediated by protein kinase C-mediated receptor phosphorylation, we investigated the involvement of this enzyme in desensitization of the ACTH response to AVP. Treatment of perifused ovine anterior pituitary cells with the specific protein kinase C (PKC) activator 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol (300 muM) did not induce any reduction in response to a subsequent 5-min stimulation with 100 nM AVP, despite potently stimulating ACTH secretion. Likewise, the results obtained using the PKC inhibitor Ro 31-8220 were not consistent with involvement of PKC in AVP desensitization: 2 muM Ro 31-8220 did not reduce the ability of a 10 nM AVP pretreatment to induce desensitization to a subsequent stimulation with 100 nM AVP. Pharmacologic blockade of receptor internalization by treatment with 0.25 mg/ml concanavalin A significantly impaired the ability of a 15-min pretreatment with 10 nM AVP to induce desensitization, rather than affecting resensitization. Treatment with 10 nM okadaic acid, an inhibitor of protein phosphatase I and 2A, had no effect on either resensitization or desensitization. In contrast, inhibition of protein phosphatase 2B (PP2B) with 1 muM FK506 decreased the rate of resensitization: complete recovery from desensitization took 40 ruin, whereas in controls recovery was complete 20 min after termination of the pretreatment. These results indicate that desensitization of the ACTH response to AVP is not mediated by PKC-catalyzed phosphorylation, suggesting subtype-specific differences in the regulation of V1a and V1b vasopressin receptors. The data demonstrate that desensitization was dependent, at least in part, upon receptor internalization and that resensitization was dependent upon PP2B-mediated receptor dephosphorylation.