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Using patch-clamp techniques, excitation and secretion in chromaffin cells were studied by measurement of unitary inward currents and of stimulus-evoked increments in membrane capacitance. The effect of the calmodulin inhibitor trifluoperazine (TFP) on Na, Ca and acetylcholine-induced (ACh) currents as well as on capacitance increments was investigated. TFP in concentrations up to 10 microM had no effect on Na channel currents. TFP was a potent anticholinergic agent. TFP in concentrations of 100 nM-1 microM decreased net ACh-induced currents by a slow block or allosteric modification of the channel. The effect was only partially reversible. Recovery from desensitization was retarded in direct relation to [TFP]. At the single channel level, TFP was found to slightly shorten open times in 0.5 and 20 microM-ACh. As reported previously, desensitization can be modelled by at least two desensitized states, as reflected by the bursting and clustering behaviour of single channels. TFP shortened clusters mainly by reducing the number of bursts per cluster. Whole-cell Ca currents (ICa) were reduced in 10 microM-TFP from an average of 29 microA cm-2-13 microA cm-2. Changes in capacitance of 1-200 fF were elicited in controls by maximal activation of the Ca current. We interpreted these steps to be the summed result of many exocytotic vesicular fusion events. Capacitance steps depended on ICa and were absent when extracellular Ca was removed. Application of 10 microM-TFP inhibited capacitance steps. The block of capacitance steps by TFP was shown to be independent of the reduction of ACh and Ca inward ionic currents. We conclude that the prevention of exocytosis by TFP is not completely described by its inhibition of electrical excitability but also results from intracellular actions.