5-HT-stimulated arachidonic acid release from labeled phosphatidylinositol in blowfly salivary glands

In blowfly salivary glands, breakdown of phosphatidylinositol has been linked to the activation of hormone-sensitive Ca²⁺ channels. Addition of 5-hydroxytryptamine to blowfly salivary glands stimulated the breakdown of phosphatidylinositol prelabeled with ³²P or [³H]arachidonic acid. This was associated with a transient accumulation of [³H]arachidonic-labeled diglyceride. There was no appreciable effect of 5-hydroxytryptamine on breakdown of phosphatidylethanolamine or phosphatidylcholine labeled with ³²P or [³H]arachidonic acid, indicating that phosphatidylinositol was the immediate source of diglyceride. Extracellular Ca²⁺ was necessary for [³H]arachidonic acid but not ³²P loss from phosphatidylinositol. Addition of arachidonic acid to salivary glands did not stimulate salivary gland secretion or ⁴⁵Ca flux. In contrast, 5-hydroxytryptamine stimulated both salivary gland secretion and ⁴⁵Ca flux. These results indicate that, although [³H]arachidonic acid is incorporated into phosphatidylinositol and its release from this phospholipid is increased by 5-hydroxytryptamine, the liberated arachidonic acid does not stimulate salivery gland secretion or ⁴⁵Ca flux.