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Department of Ophthalmology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA. m_schutte@smtplink.mssm.edu

1. 'Ratiometric' fura-2 methodology in slice preparations and 'intensitometric' fluo-3 measurements of confocal images were used to simultaneously monitor Ca2+ mobilization in the two distinct, apically joined cell layers which constitute the ciliary body epithelium (CBE): the non-pigmented (NPE) and pigmented (PE) epithelia. 2. Both methods yielded comparable results regarding Ca2+ responses in the syncytium upon stimulation with adrenergic and cholinergic agonists. 3. The alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonist phenylephrine elicited a moderate [Ca2+]i increase in the PE, whereas NPE [Ca2+]i remained unchanged or exhibited a slight diminution. 4. In combination with carbachol, the alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist brimonidine elicited large Ca2+ increases (> 10-fold) in both the NPE and PE cell layers, even though previous studies indicated the absence of an alpha 2-adrenergic effect on [Ca2+]i in the PE. The onset, as well as the peak of the Ca2+ responses in PE cells frequently exhibited a small delay with respect to adjacent NPE cells. No such time difference was observed between adjacent NPE cells. 5. Pre-incubation of the ciliary body in Ca(2+)-free solution under conditions known to elicit overt NPE-PE separation abolished the alpha 2-adrenocholinergic response in the PE. 6. Addition of heptanol to the perfusate, to block gap-junctional communication, caused a small [Ca2+]i decrease in the NPE and a slight increase in PE[Ca2+]i. Subsequently, the Ca2+ mobilization in the Pe in response to the brimonidine and carbachol combination was either blocked or showed a substantial delay. The Ca2+ mobilization in the NPE, in contrast, remained unchanged. 7. We conclude that the heterocellular syncytium exhibits rectificatory behaviour with respect to Ca2+ mobilization; responses originating within the NPE are easily transferred to the PE, while the reverse does not occur.