Nitric oxide suppresses a Ca2+-stimulated Cl− current in smooth muscle cells of opossum esophagus
Nitric oxide (NO) hyperpolarizes visceral smooth muscles. Using the patch-clamp technique, we investigated the possibility that NO-mediated hyperpolarization in the circular muscle of opossum esophagus results from the suppression of a Ca2+-stimulated Cl− current. Smooth muscle cells were dissociated from the circular layer and bathed in high-K+Ca2+-EGTA-buffered solution. Macroscopic ramp currents were recorded from cell-attached patches. Contaminating K+-channel currents were blocked with tetrapentylammonium chloride (200 μM) added to all solutions. Raising bath Ca2+concentration above 150 nM in the presence of A-23187 (10 μM) activated a leak current ( I L-Ca) with an EC50 of 1.2 μM at −100 mV. The reversal potential ( E rev) of I L-Ca (−8.5 ± 1.8 mV, n = 8) was significantly different ( P < 0.05) from E rev of the background current (+4.2 ± 1.2 mV, n = 8). Equimolar substitution of 135 mM Cl− in the pipette solution with gluconate significantly shifted E rev of I L-Ca to +16.6 ± 3.4 mV ( n = 4) ( P < 0.05 compared with background), whereas replacement of total Na+with Tris+ suppressed I L-Ca but did not affect E rev(−15 ± 3 mV, n = 3; P > 0.05). I L-Ca was inhibited by DIDS (500 μM). Diethylenetriamine-NO adduct (200 μM), a NO• donor, and 8-bromo-cGMP (200 μM) suppressed I L-Ca by 59 ± 15% ( n = 5) and 62 ± 21% ( n = 4) at −100 mV, respectively. We conclude that in opossum esophageal smooth muscle NO-mediated hyperpolarization may be produced by suppression of a Ca2+-stimulated Cl−-permeable conductance via formation of cGMP.