Endothelin stimulates phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis and DNA synthesis in brain capillary endothelial cells

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a novel vasoconstricting and cardiotonic peptide that is synthesized by the vascular endothelium. Bovine aortic endothelial cells which secrete ET in vitro lack membrane receptor sites for the peptide. Endothelial cells from rat brain microvessels that do not secrete ET in vitro express large amounts of high-affinity receptors for 125I-labelled ET-1 (Kd 0.8 nM). The ET receptor is recognized by sarafotoxin S6b and the different ET peptides with the following order of potency: ET-1 (Kd 0.5 nM) approximately equal to ET-2 (Kd 0.7 nM) greater than sarafotoxin S6b (Kd 27 nM) greater than ET-3 (Kd 450 nM). This structure-activity relationship is different from those found in vascular smooth muscle cells, renal cells and cardiac cells. ET-1 stimulates DNA synthesis in brain capillary endothelial cells. It is more potent than basic fibroblast growth factor. The action of ET on endothelial cells from microvessels involves phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis and intracellular Ca2+ mobilization. These observations suggest that brain endothelial cells might be an important target for ET.