Long-term regulation of contractility and calcium current in smooth muscle

1997 ◽  
Vol 273 (5) ◽  
pp. C1714-C1720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Gomez ◽  
Karl Swärd

Longitudinal smooth muscle strips from guinea pig ileum were cultured in vitro for 5 days, and the relationship between extracellular Ca2+ and force in high-K+ medium was evaluated. In strips cultured with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS), this relationship was shifted to the right (50% effective concentration changed by 2–3 mM) compared with strips cultured without FCS. The shift was prevented by inclusion of verapamil (1 μM) during culture and mimicked by ionomycin in the absence of FCS. The intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) during stimulation with high-K+solution or carbachol was reduced after culture with FCS, whereas the [Ca2+]i-force relationship was unaffected. Cells were isolated from cultured strips, and whole cell voltage-clamp experiments were performed. Maximum inward Ca2+ current (10 mM Ba2+), normalized to cell capacitance, was almost three times smaller in cells isolated from strips cultured with FCS. Culture with 1 μM verapamil prevented this reduction. These results suggest that increased [Ca2+]iduring culture downregulates Ca2+current density, with associated effects on contractility.

1998 ◽  
Vol 274 (2) ◽  
pp. H494-H499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuo Sato ◽  
Jun Yamazaki ◽  
Taku Nagao

The vascular tension in the coronary artery is modulated by factors released by endothelial cells. We investigated the relationship between the Ca2+ level in endothelium and endothelium-mediated changes in smooth muscle tone in high K+-depolarized canine coronary arteries by measuring intracellular Ca2+ concentration fluorimetrically with the Ca2+indicator fura 2. Addition of Ca2+(1 mM) caused an increase in endothelial Ca2+ and relaxed the 30 mM K+-depolarized arteries following inhibition of Ca2+ influx in the smooth muscle with diltiazem. This relaxation was inhibited by N G-monomethyl-l-arginine. As extracellular K+ concentration was decreased, increases of endothelial Ca2+ were augmented, whereas the relaxation was decreased. Basal muscle tone was found to be decreased in low K+ by measuring relaxation by sodium nitroprusside. These results suggest the importance of Ca2+ level in the endothelium in playing a modulatory role in coronary tension through the production of nitric oxide. The correlation of extracellular K+ to Ca2+ level in the endothelium indicates a typical characteristic of the passive Ca2+ entry pathway in the endothelium, whereas the resultant relaxation appears to be restricted by the basal muscle tone.


1997 ◽  
Vol 273 (1) ◽  
pp. C77-C84 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Sward ◽  
B. O. Nilsson ◽  
P. Hellstrand

Smooth muscle strips from guinea pig ileum were cultured for 5 days and then tested for contractile properties to investigate whether endogenous polyamines influence excitation-contraction coupling. Inhibition of spermidine and spermine synthesis by culture in the presence of the adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (EC4.1.1.50) inhibitor CGP-48664 (1-10 microM) decreased spermidine and spermine levels by 50% and increased putrescine by 20-fold. After culture with 10 microM, but not 1 microM, CGP-48664, the relationship between extracellular Ca2+ concentration and force in high K(+)-depolarized strips was shifted to the right, and phasic contractile activity as well as sensitivity to muscarinic stimulation was enhanced. When spermidine and spermine (each 50 microM) were available for cellular uptake during culture in the presence of 10 microM CGP-48664, spermidine and spermine concentrations were increased, and the effect on Ca2+ sensitivity was reversed. In strips cultured with 0 or 1 microM CGP-48664 in the presence of 50 microM spermidine and 50 microM spermine, no effect on Ca2+ sensitivity was observed. Force development relative to intracellular Ca2+ concentration was decreased in CGP-48664 (10 microM)-treated strips. The results suggest that endogenous polyamines influence excitation-contraction coupling in smooth muscle, although overall tissue concentrations may not reflect the polyamine pools responsible for this effect.


2008 ◽  
Vol 295 (3) ◽  
pp. E719-E726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shih-Min Hsia ◽  
Yueh-Hsiung Kuo ◽  
Wenchang Chiang ◽  
Paulus S. Wang

Dysmenorrhea is directly related to elevated PGF2α levels. It is treated with nonsteroid antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in Western medicine. Since NSAIDs produce many side effects, Chinese medicinal therapy is considered as a feasible alternative medicine. Adlay ( Coix lachryma-jobi L. var. ma-yuen Stapf.) has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for treating dysmenorrhea. However, the relationship between smooth muscle contraction and adlay extracts remains veiled. Therefore, we investigated this relationship in the rat uterus by measuring uterine contraction activity and recording the intrauterine pressure. We studied the in vivo and in vitro effects of the methanolic extracts of adlay hull (AHM) on uterine smooth muscle contraction. The extracts were fractionated using four different solvents: water, 1-butanol, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane; the four respective fractions were AHM-Wa, AHM-Bu, AHM-EA, and AHM-Hex. AHM-EA and its subfractions (175 μg/ml) inhibited uterine contractions induced by PGF2α, the Ca2+ channel activator Bay K 8644, and high K+ in a concentration-dependent manner in vitro. AHM-EA also inhibited PGF2α-induced uterine contractions in vivo; furthermore, 375 μg/ml of AHM-EA inhibited the Ca2+-dependent uterine contractions. Thus 375 μg/ml of AHM-EA consistently suppressed the increases in intracellular Ca2+ concentrations induced by PGF2α and high K+. We also demonstrated that naringenin and quercetin are the major pure chemical components of AHM-EA that inhibit PGF2α-induced uterine contractions. Thus AHM-EA probably inhibited uterine contraction by blocking external Ca2+ influx, leading to a decrease in intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Thus adlay hull may be considered as a feasible alternative therapeutic agent for dysmenorrhea.


1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mária Faragó ◽  
Csaba Szabó ◽  
Eörs Dóra ◽  
Ildikó Horváth ◽  
Arisztid G. B. Kovách

To clarify the effect of extracellular magnesium (Mg2+) on the vascular reactivity of feline isolated middle cerebral arteries, the effects of slight alterations in the Mg2+ concentration on the contractile and endothelium-dependent dilatory responses were investigated in vitro. The contractions, induced by 10−8-10−5 M norepinephrine, were significantly potentiated at low Mg2+ (0.8 m M v. the normal, 1.2 m M). High (1.6 and 2.0 m M) Mg2+ exhibited an inhibitory effect on the contractile responses. No significant changes, however, in the EC50 values for norepinephrine were found. The endothelium-dependent relaxations induced by 108–10−5 M acetylcholine were inhibited by high (1.6 and 2.0 m M) Mg2+. Lowering of the Mg2+ concentration to 0.8 m M or total withdrawal of this ion from the medium failed to alter the dilatory potency of acetylcholine. The changes in the dilatory responses also shifted the EC50 values for acetylcholine to the right. The present results show that the contractile responses of the cerebral arteries are extremely susceptible to the changes of Mg2+ concentrations. In response to contractile and endothelium-dependent dilatory agonists, Mg2+ probably affects both the calcium influx into the endothelial and smooth muscle cells as well as the binding of acetylcholine to its endothelial receptor. Since Mg2+ deficiency might facilitate the contractile but not the endothelium-dependent relaxant responses, the present study supports a role for Mg2+ deficiency in the development of the cerebral vasospasm.


2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Holmar ◽  
Heidi Noels ◽  
Joachim Jankowski ◽  
Setareh Orth-Alampour

Abstract Background and Aims Vascular calcification (VC) is one major complication in patients with chronic kidney disease whereas a misbalance in calcium and phosphate metabolism plays a crucial role. The mechanisms underlying VC have not been entirely revealed to date. Therefore are the studies aiming at the identification and characterization of the mediators/uremic toxins involved in VC ongoing and highly relevant. However, currently many different protocols being used in the studies of vascular calcification processes. This complicates the comparison of study outcomes, composing systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. Moreover, the reproducibility of data is hampered, and the efficiency in calcification research through the lack of a standardized protocol is reduced. In this study, we developed a standardized operating protocol for in vitro and ex vivo approaches to aiming at the comparability of these studies. Method We analysed in vitro and ex vivo experimental conditions to study VC. Vascular smooth muscle cells (HAoSMCs) were used for in vitro experiments and aortas from Wistar rats were used for ex vivo experiments. The influence of the following conditions was studied in detail: • Phosphate and calcium concentrations in calcifying media. • Incubation time. • Fetal calf serum (FCS) concentration. The degree of calcification was estimated by quantification of calcium concentrations that were normalized to protein content (in vitro) or to the dry weight of the aortic ring (ex vivo). Additionally, the aortic rings were stained using the von Kossa method. Optimal conditions for investigating medial vascular calcification were detected and summarized in the step-by-step protocol. Results We were able to demonstrate that the degree and the location of VC in vascular smooth muscle cells and aortic rings were highly dependent on the phosphate and CaCl2 concentration in the medium as well as the incubation time. Furthermore, the VC was reduced upon increasing fetal calf serum concentration in the medium. An optimized protocol for studying vascular calcification in vitro and ex vivo was developed and validated. The final protocol (Figure 1) presented will help to standardize in vitro and ex vivo approaches to investigate the processes of vascular calcification. Conclusion In the current study, we developed and validated a standardized operating protocol for systematic in vitro and ex vivo analyses of medial calcification, which is essential for the comparability of the results of future studies.


1999 ◽  
Vol 276 (5) ◽  
pp. C1115-C1120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Dreja ◽  
Per Hellstrand

To investigate the Ca2+-dependent plasticity of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) function in vascular smooth muscle, transient responses to agents releasing intracellular Ca2+ by either ryanodine (caffeine) ord- myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [IP3; produced in response to norepinephrine (NE), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), arginine vasopressin (AVP)] receptors in rat tail arterial rings were evaluated after 4 days of organ culture. Force transients induced by all agents were increased compared with those induced in fresh rings. Stimulation by 10% FCS during culture further potentiated the force and Ca2+ responses to caffeine (20 mM) but not to NE (10 μM), 5-HT (10 μM), or AVP (0.1 μM). The effect was persistent, and SR capacity was not altered after reversible depletion of stores with cyclopiazonic acid. The effects of serum could be mimicked by culture in depolarizing medium (30 mM K+) and blocked by the addition of verapamil (1 μM) or EGTA (1 mM) to the medium, lowering intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) during culture. These results show that modulation of SR function can occur in vitro by a mechanism dependent on long-term levels of basal [Ca2+]iand involving ryanodine- but not IP3 receptor-mediated Ca2+release.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weijia Wang ◽  
Ying Li ◽  
Xiaoyan Qu ◽  
Dong Shang ◽  
Qiaohong Qin ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND The IL-17 superfamily, which mediates cross-talk between the adaptive and innate immune systems, has been associated with severity of asthma. The role of miRNAs in the disease has been paid much attention. To explore the roles of IL-17 in asthma and the relationship between IL-17 and miRNAs, we used a model of severe asthma driven by chronic respiratory exposure to house dust mite (HDM) exposure in wild type and IL-17KO mice, followed with miRNA profiling assays and analysis.METHODS Male and female C57BL/6 mice (6-8 weeks old) and IL-17KO mice (C57BL/6 background) were exposed to purified HDM extract intranasally for 5 days/week for 5 consecutive weeks. Sterile saline was used as the control. The parameters including airway responsiveness, inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), airway smooth muscle bundle, collagen deposition, and cytokine levels in BALF were examined. The miRNA profile of mouse lung tissue was analyzed by microarray assays. The dysregulation of miRNA related to IL-17 and asthma was validated by qRT-PCR. The in vitro cell culture experiment was performed to confirm the relationship between IL-17 and selected miRNA. The regulation of miRNA on predicted target gene was validated by administration of miRNA mimics. RESULTS The expression of IL-17A significantly increased in wild type (WT) mice with HDM exposure compared to the control mice. IL-17 deficiency did not reduce airway hyper responsiveness (AHR) induced by HDM exposure. In comparison to HDM-exposed WT mice, BALF neutrophils in IL-17KO mice were significantly decreased. In WT mice, HDM exposure led to increased expression of IL-4 and KC, which was significantly decreased in IL-17KO mice. Furthermore, under HDM exposure, significantly less airway smooth muscle mass and collagen deposition was found in IL-17KO mice compared to WT mice. In the dysregulated miRNAs, the decreased expression of miR-365-3p in HDM-exposed WT mice was validated, and its expression recovered in IL-17KO mice. Furthermore, miR-365-3p was decreased in mouse alveolar epithelial cells by IL-17 treatment. The transfection of miR-365-3p mimics decreased the expression of predicted target gene ARRB2.


EP Europace ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Scridon ◽  
VB Halatiu ◽  
AI Balan ◽  
DA Cozac ◽  
GV Moldovan ◽  
...  

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): This work was supported by a grant of the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, CNCS - UEFISCDI Background The autonomic control of the pacemaker current, If, and the molecular mechanisms underlying parasympathetic If modulation are well understood. Conversely, the effects of chronic If blockade on the parasympathetic nervous system and on the heart rate (HR) response to acute parasympathetic changes are still largely unknown. Such interactions could significantly influence the course of patients undergoing chronic therapy with the If blocker ivabradine. Purpose We aimed to assess the effects of long-term If blockade using ivabradine on cardiac autonomic modulation and on the cardiovascular response to acute in vivo and in vitro parasympathetic stimulation. Methods Radiotelemetry ECG transmitters were implanted in 6 Control and 10 ivabradine-treated male Wistar rats (IVA; 3 weeks, 10 mg/kg/day); sympathetic and parasympathetic heart rate variability parameters were assessed. At the end of the study, the right atrium was removed and right atrial HCN(1-4) RNA expression levels were analyzed. The HR and systolic blood pressure (SBP) responses to in vivo electrical stimulation of the right vagus nerve (2–20 Hz) and the spontaneous sinus node discharge rate (SNDR) response to in vitro cholinergic receptors stimulation using carbamylcholine (10-9–10-6 mol/L) were assessed in 6 additional Control and 10 IVA rats. Results At the end of the study, mean 24-h HR was significantly lower in the IVA compared with the Control rats (301.3 ± 7.5 bpm vs. 341.5 ± 8.3 bpm; p< 0.01). Ivabradine administration led to a significant increase in vagal tone and shifted the sympatho-vagal balance towards vagal dominance (awake, asleep, and over 24-h; all p< 0.05). In the Control rats, in vivo vagus nerve stimulation induced a progressive decrease in both the SBP (p = 0.0001) and the HR (p< 0.0001). Meanwhile, in the IVA rats, vagal stimulation had no effect on the HR (p = 0.16) and induced a significantly lower drop in SBP (p< 0.05). Ivabradine-treated rats also presented a significantly lower SNDR drop in response to carbamylcholine (p< 0.01) and significantly higher HCN4 expression (p = 0.02). Conclusion Long-term If blockade using ivabradine caused a significant increase in vagal tone and shifted the autonomic balance towards vagal dominance in rats. Given the highly proarrhythmic effects of vagal activation at the atrial level, these findings could provide an explanation for the increased risk of atrial fibrillation associated with ivabradine use in clinical trials. In addition, ivabradine reduced the HR response to direct muscarinic receptors stimulation, canceled the cardioinhibitory response and blunted the hemodynamic response to in vivo vagal stimulation, and led to significant sinus node HCN4 up-regulation. These data suggest that ivabradine-induced HCN4 and the consequent If up-regulation could render the sinus node less sensitive to acute vagal inputs and could thus protect against excessive bradycardia induced by acute vagal activation.


1976 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 669-683
Author(s):  
J. J. Nordmann

1. A study has been made of the relationship between 45Ca uptake into and hormone release from isolated rat neurohypophyses incubated in vitro. 2. Hormone secretion is triggered by high-K (56 mM) but long exposure to the stimulus does not generate a maintained release of hormone. 3. When hormone release began to wane, addition of Ba of La increased hormone output which suggests that the decline in output did not result from depletion of the neurosecretory granules at the nerve terminals. 4. 45Ca uptake is enhanced in the presence of high-K concentration, but the initial high rate declines during long exposure to the potassium stimulus with a time constant similar to that of the decline in hormone release. 5. After a period of incubation in a K-rich, calcium-free medium, addition of calcium to the medium induced hormone release. The magnitude of this release was dependent on the time of exposure to excess potassium. 6. After inactivation of secretion, mobilization of internal calcium by means of a calcium ionophore increased hormone release.


2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 383-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annele Sainio ◽  
Piia Takabe ◽  
Sanna Oikari ◽  
Henriikka Salomäki-Myftari ◽  
Markku Koulu ◽  
...  

Metformin is the first-line drug in the treatment of type 2 diabetes worldwide based on its effectiveness and cardiovascular safety. Currently metformin is increasingly used during pregnancy in women with gestational diabetes mellitus, even if the long-term effects of metformin on offspring are not exactly known. We have previously shown that high glucose concentration increases hyaluronan (HA) production of cultured human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) via stimulating the expression of hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2). This offers a potential mechanism whereby hyperglycemia leads to vascular macroangiopathy. In this study, we examined whether gestational metformin use affects HA content in the aortic wall of mouse offspring in vivo. We also examined the effect of metformin on HA synthesis by cultured human VSMCs in vitro. We found that gestational metformin use significantly decreased HA content in the intima-media of mouse offspring aortas. In accordance with this, the synthesis of HA by VSMCs was also significantly decreased in response to treatment with metformin. This decrease in HA synthesis was shown to be due to the reduction of both the expression of HAS2 and the amount of HAS substrates, particularly UDP-N-acetylglucosamine. As shown here, gestational metformin use is capable to program reduced HA content in the vascular wall of the offspring strongly supporting the idea, that metformin possesses long-term vasculoprotective effects.


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