scholarly journals Bcl-2 decreases voltage-gated K+channel activity and enhances survival in vascular smooth muscle cells

2001 ◽  
Vol 281 (1) ◽  
pp. C157-C165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daryoush Ekhterae ◽  
Oleksandr Platoshyn ◽  
Stefanie Krick ◽  
Ying Yu ◽  
Sharon S. McDaniel ◽  
...  

Cell shrinkage is an incipient hallmark of apoptosis in a variety of cell types. The apoptotic volume decrease has been demonstrated to attribute, in part, to K+efflux; blockade of plasmalemmal K+channels inhibits the apoptotic volume decrease and attenuates apoptosis. Using combined approaches of gene transfection, single-cell PCR, patch clamp, and fluorescence microscopy, we examined whether overexpression of Bcl-2, an anti-apoptotic oncoprotein, inhibits apoptosis in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC) by diminishing the activity of voltage-gated K+(Kv) channels. A human bcl-2gene was infected into primary cultured rat PASMC using an adenoviral vector. Overexpression of Bcl-2 significantly decreased the amplitude and current density of Kv currents ( IKv). In contrast, the apoptosis inducer staurosporine (ST) enhanced IKv. In bcl-2-infected cells, however, the ST-induced increase in IKvwas completely abolished, and the ST-induced apoptosis was significantly inhibited compared with cells infected with an empty adenovirus (− bcl-2). Blockade of Kv channels in control cells (− bcl-2) by 4-aminopyridine also inhibited the ST-induced increase in IKvand apoptosis. Furthermore, overexpression of Bcl-2 accelerated the inactivation of IKvand downregulated the mRNA expression of the pore-forming Kv channel α-subunits (Kv1.1, Kv1.5, and Kv2.1). These results suggest that inhibition of Kv channel activity may serve as an additional mechanism involved in the Bcl-2-mediated anti-apoptotic effect on vascular smooth muscle cells.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivek Krishnan ◽  
Sher Ali ◽  
Albert L. Gonzales ◽  
Pratish Thakore ◽  
Caoimhin S. Griffin ◽  
...  

Peripheral coupling between the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and plasma membrane (PM) forms signaling complexes that regulate the membrane potential and contractility of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), although the mechanisms responsible for these membrane interactions are poorly understood. In many cells, STIM1 (stromal interaction molecule 1), a single transmembrane-domain protein that resides in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), transiently moves to ER-PM junctions in response to depletion of ER Ca2+ stores and initiates store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE). Fully differentiated VSMCs express STIM1 but exhibit only marginal SOCE activity. We hypothesized that STIM1 is constitutively active in contractile VSMCs and maintains peripheral coupling. In support of this concept, we found that the number and size of SR-PM interacting sites were decreased and SR-dependent Ca2+ signaling processes were disrupted in freshly isolated cerebral artery SMCs from tamoxifen-inducible, SMC specific STIM1-knockout (Stim1-smKO) mice. VSMCs from Stim1-smKO mice also exhibited a reduction in nanoscale colocalization between Ca2+-release sites on the SR and Ca2+-activated ion channels on the PM, accompanied by diminished channel activity. Stim1-smKO mice were hypotensive and resistance arteries isolated from them displayed blunted contractility. These data suggest that STIM1 – independent of SR Ca2+ store depletion – is critically important for stable peripheral coupling in contractile VSMCs.


1994 ◽  
Vol 266 (1) ◽  
pp. C311-C317 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. L. Borin ◽  
R. M. Tribe ◽  
M. P. Blaustein

The effect of a rise in intracellular Na+ concentration ([Na+]cyt) on the amount of Ca2+ in intracellular stores was studied in vascular smooth muscle cells from the A7r5 line. The relative amount of stored Ca2+ was estimated in fura 2-loaded cells by the rise in cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]cyt) evoked by Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). To improve the detection of released Ca2+, extrusion of Ca2+ from the cytosol was minimized by using nominally Na+/Ca(2+)-free medium containing 0.5 mM La3+ [for vasoconstrictor experiments, the medium contained 0.5 mM ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid and no La3+]. Ca2+ release was triggered by thapsigargin (TG), an SR Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor, and by the vasoconstrictors arginine vasopressin (AVP) and serotonin (5-HT). Incubation with 1-3 mM ouabain for 20 min, which raises [Na+]cyt from 4.4 to 9.0 mM, increased "resting" [Ca2+]cyt only slightly (from 87 to 122 nM). However, ouabain greatly augmented the release of Ca2+ evoked by TG [from 639 nM (control) to 1,021 nM], by AVP (from 993 to 1,597 nM), and by 5-HT (from 559 to 1,486 nM). Ouabain-induced augmentation of TG-evoked Ca2+ release was not affected by 10 microM verapamil; this implies that the effect of ouabain was not due to Ca2+ entry through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. The response to TG was not augmented when ouabain was applied for 20 min in Na(+)-free medium (Na+ replaced by equimolar N-methyl-D-glucamine) to prevent [Na+]cyt from rising.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


2006 ◽  
Vol 290 (3) ◽  
pp. C907-C916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oleksandr Platoshyn ◽  
Elena E. Brevnova ◽  
Elyssa D. Burg ◽  
Ying Yu ◽  
Carmelle V. Remillard ◽  
...  

Acute hypoxia causes pulmonary vasoconstriction in part by inhibiting voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channel activity in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC). The hypoxia-mediated decrease in Kv currents [ IK(V)] is selective to PASMC; hypoxia has little effect on IK(V) in mesenteric artery smooth muscle cells (MASMC). Functional Kv channels are homo- and/or heterotetramers of pore-forming α-subunits and regulatory β-subunits. KCNA5 is a Kv channel α-subunit that forms functional Kv channels in PASMC and regulates resting membrane potential. We have shown that acute hypoxia selectively inhibits IK(V) through KCNA5 channels in PASMC. Overexpression of the human KCNA5 gene increased IK(V) and caused membrane hyperpolarization in HEK-293, COS-7, and rat MASMC and PASMC. Acute hypoxia did not affect IK(V) in KCNA5-transfected HEK-293 and COS-7 cells. However, overexpression of KCNA5 in PASMC conferred its sensitivity to hypoxia. Reduction of Po2 from 145 to 35 mmHg reduced IK(V) by ∼40% in rat PASMC transfected with human KCNA5 but had no effect on IK(V) in KCNA5-transfected rat MASMC (or HEK and COS cells). These results indicate that KCNA5 is an important Kv channel that regulates resting membrane potential and that acute hypoxia selectively reduces KCNA5 channel activity in PASMC relative to MASMC and other cell types. Because Kv channels (including KCNA5) are ubiquitously expressed in PASMC and MASMC, the observation from this study indicates that a hypoxia-sensitive mechanism essential for inhibiting KCNA5 channel activity is exclusively present in PASMC. The divergent effect of hypoxia on IK(V) in PASMC and MASMC also may be due to different expression levels of KCNA5 channels.


Author(s):  
Marycarmen Arévalo-Martínez ◽  
Pilar Cidad ◽  
Nadia García-Mateo ◽  
Sara Moreno-Estar ◽  
Julia Serna ◽  
...  

Objective: We have previously described that changes in the expression of Kv channels associate to phenotypic modulation (PM), so that Kv1.3/Kv1.5 ratio is a landmark of vascular smooth muscle cells phenotype. Moreover, we demonstrated that the Kv1.3 functional expression is relevant for PM in several types of vascular lesions. Here, we explore the efficacy of Kv1.3 inhibition for the prevention of remodeling in human vessels, and the mechanisms linking the switch in Kv1.3 /Kv1.5 ratio to PM. Approach and Results: Vascular remodeling was explored using organ culture and primary cultures of vascular smooth muscle cells obtained from human vessels. We studied the effects of Kv1.3 inhibition on serum-induced remodeling, as well as the impact of viral vector-mediated overexpression of Kv channels or myocardin knock-down. Kv1.3 blockade prevented remodeling by inhibiting proliferation, migration, and extracellular matrix secretion. PM activated Kv1.3 via downregulation of Kv1.5. Hence, both Kv1.3 blockers and Kv1.5 overexpression inhibited remodeling in a nonadditive fashion. Finally, myocardin knock-down induced vessel remodeling and Kv1.5 downregulation and myocardin overexpression increased Kv1.5, while Kv1.5 overexpression inhibited PM without changing myocardin expression. Conclusions: We demonstrate that Kv1.5 channel gene is a myocardin-regulated, vascular smooth muscle cells contractile marker. Kv1.5 downregulation upon PM leaves Kv1.3 as the dominant Kv1 channel expressed in dedifferentiated cells. We demonstrated that the inhibition of Kv1.3 channel function with selective blockers or by preventing Kv1.5 downregulation can represent an effective, novel strategy for the prevention of intimal hyperplasia and restenosis of the human vessels used for coronary angioplasty procedures.


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