scholarly journals Effects of TNFα on Dynamic Cytosolic Ca2 + and Force Responses to Muscarinic Stimulation in Airway Smooth Muscle

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young-Soo Han ◽  
Philippe Delmotte ◽  
Gary C. Sieck

Previously, we reported that in airway smooth muscle (ASM), the cytosolic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]cyt) and force response induced by acetyl choline (ACh) are increased by exposure to the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα). The increase in ASM force induced by TNFα was not associated with an increase in regulatory myosin light chain (rMLC20) phosphorylation but was associated with an increase in contractile protein (actin and myosin) concentration and an enhancement of Ca2+ dependent actin polymerization. The sensitivity of ASM force generation to elevated [Ca2+]cyt (Ca2+ sensitivity) is dynamic involving both the shorter-term canonical calmodulin-myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) signaling cascade that regulates rMLC20 phosphorylation and cross-bridge recruitment as well as the longer-term regulation of actin polymerization that regulates contractile unit recruitment and actin tethering to the cortical cytoskeleton. In this study, we simultaneously measured [Ca2+]cyt and force responses to ACh and explored the impact of 24-h TNFα on the dynamic relationship between [Ca2+]cyt and force responses. The temporal delay between the onset of [Ca2+]cyt and force responses was not affected by TNFα. Similarly, the rates of rise of [Ca2+]cyt and force responses were not affected by TNFα. The absence of an impact of TNFα on the short delay relationships between [Ca2+]cyt and force was consistent with the absence of an effect of [Ca2+]cyt and force on rMLC20 phosphorylation. However, the integral of the phase-loop plot of [Ca2+]cyt and force increased with TNFα, consistent with an impact on actin polymerization and, contractile unit recruitment and actin tethering to the cortical cytoskeleton.

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shengjie Xu ◽  
Anthony Schwab ◽  
Nikhil Karmacharya ◽  
Gaoyuan Cao ◽  
Joanna Woo ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Activation of free fatty acid receptors (FFAR1 and FFAR4) which are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) with established (patho)physiological roles in a variety of obesity-related disorders, induce human airway smooth muscle (HASM) cell proliferation and shortening. We reported amplified agonist-induced cell shortening in HASM cells obtained from obese lung donors. We hypothesized that FFAR1 modulate excitation–contraction (EC) coupling in HASM cells and play a role in obesity-associated airway hyperresponsiveness. Methods In HASM cells pre-treated (30 min) with FFAR1 agonists TAK875 and GW9508, we measured histamine-induced Ca2+ mobilization, myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation, and cortical tension development with magnetic twisting cytometry (MTC). Phosphorylation of MLC phosphatase and Akt also were determined in the presence of the FFAR1 agonists or vehicle. In addition, the effects of TAK875 on MLC phosphorylation were measured in HASM cells desensitized to β2AR agonists by overnight salmeterol treatment. The inhibitory effect of TAK875 on MLC phosphorylation was compared between HASM cells from age and sex-matched non-obese and obese human lung donors. The mean measurements were compared using One-Way ANOVA with Dunnett’s test for multiple group comparisons or Student’s t-test two-group comparison. For cortical tension measurements by magnetic twisted cytometry, mixed effect model using SAS V.9.2 was applied. Means were considered significant when p ≤ 0.05. Results Unexpectedly, we found that TAK875, a synthetic FFAR1 agonist, attenuated histamine-induced MLC phosphorylation and cortical tension development in HASM cells. These physiological outcomes were unassociated with changes in histamine-evoked Ca2+ flux, protein kinase B (AKT) activation, or MLC phosphatase inhibition. Of note, TAK875-mediated inhibition of MLC phosphorylation was maintained in β2AR-desensitized HASM cells and across obese and non-obese donor-derived HASM cells. Conclusions Taken together, our findings identified the FFAR1 agonist TAK875 as a novel bronchoprotective agent that warrants further investigation to treat difficult-to-control asthma and/or airway hyperreactivity in obesity.


1999 ◽  
Vol 277 (2) ◽  
pp. L343-L348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul G. Smith ◽  
Chaity Roy ◽  
Jamie Dreger ◽  
Frank Brozovich

Abnormal mechanical stress on lung tissue is associated with increased mass and contractility of airway smooth muscle (ASM). We have reported that cultured ASM cells subjected to cyclic strain exhibit increased myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) and stress filaments. Increased MLCK may increase contractile velocity, whereas increased stress filaments could impede cell shortening by increasing the cell’s internal load. To study strain-induced changes in cell contractility, the time course of shortening of individual cells exposed to 90 mM KCl was recorded. Length vs. time plots revealed significantly greater maximal velocity of shortening in strain cells than control (no strain). This correlated with an increase in MLCK and myosin light chain phosphorylation measured in strain cells in separate experiments. The extent of cell shortening tended to be greater in the strain cells so that increased impedance to shortening was not detected. Mechanical stress may therefore increase the contractility of ASM by increasing the content of MLCK.


2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (10) ◽  
pp. 941-951 ◽  
Author(s):  
N L Stephens ◽  
A Fust ◽  
H Jiang ◽  
W Li ◽  
X Ma

Smooth muscle relaxation has most often been studied in isometric mode. However, this only tells us about the stiffness properties of the bronchial wall and thus only about wall capacitative properties. It tells us little about airflow. To study the latter, which of course is the meaningful parameter in regulation of ventilation and in asthma, we studied isotonic shortening of bronchial smooth muscle (BSM) strips. Failure of BSM to relax could be another important factor in maintaining high airway resistance. To analyze relaxation curves, we developed an index of isotonic relaxation, t1/2(P, lCE), which is the half-time for relaxation that is independent of muscle load (P) and of initial contractile element length (lCE). This index was measured in curves of relaxation initiated at 2 s (normally cycling crossbridges) and at 10 s (latch-bridges). At 10 s no difference was seen for adjusted t1/2(P, lCE) between curves obtained from control and sensitized BSM, (8.38 ± 0.92 s vs. 7.78 ± 0.93 s, respectively). At 2 s the half-time was almost doubled in the sensitized BSM (6.98 ± 0.01 s (control) vs. 12.74 ± 2.5 s (sensitized)). Thus, changes in isotonic relaxation are only seen during early contraction. Using zero load clamps, we monitored the time course of velocity during relaxation and noted that it varied according to 3 phases. The first phase (phase i) immediately followed cessation of electrical field stimulation (EFS) at 10 s and showed almost the same velocity as during the latter 1/3 of shortening; the second phase (phase ii) was linear in shape and is associated with zero load velocity, we speculate it could stem from elastic recoil of the cells' internal resistor; and the third phase (phase iii) was convex downwards. The zero load velocities in phase iii showed a surprising spontaneous increase suggesting reactivation of the muscle. Measurements of intracellular calcium (Fura-2 study) and of phosphorylation of the 20 kDa myosin light chain showed simultaneous increments, indicating phase iii represented an active process. Studies are under way to determine what changes occur in these 3 phases in a sensitized muscle. And of course, in the context of this conference, just what role the plastic properties of the muscle play in relaxation requires serious consideration.Key words: airway smooth muscle, sensitized smooth muscle, isotonic relaxation, intracellular calcium transients, myosin light chain (20 kDa) phosphorylation.


2000 ◽  
Vol 89 (5) ◽  
pp. 2092-2098 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul G. Smith ◽  
Chaity Roy ◽  
Steven Fisher ◽  
Qi-Quan Huang ◽  
Frank Brozovich

Cultured airway smooth muscle cells subjected to cyclic deformational strain have increased cell content of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) and myosin and increased formation of actin filaments. To determine how these changes may increase cell contractility, we measured isometric force production with changes in cytosolic calcium in individual permeabilized cells. The pCa for 50% maximal force production was 6.6 ± 0.4 in the strain cells compared with 5.9 ± 0.3 in control cells, signifying increased calcium sensitivity in strain cells. Maximal force production was also greater in strain cells (8.6 ± 2.9 vs. 5.7 ± 3.1 μN). The increased maximal force production in strain cells persisted after irreversible thiophosphorylation of myosin light chain, signifying that increased force could not be explained by differences in myosin light chain phosphorylation. Cells strained for brief periods sufficient to increase cytoskeletal organization but insufficient to increase contractile protein content also produced more force, suggesting that strain-induced cytoskeletal reorganization also increases force production.


2011 ◽  
Vol 300 (1) ◽  
pp. F73-F85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P. Walsh ◽  
Keith Thornbury ◽  
William C. Cole ◽  
Gerard Sergeant ◽  
Mark Hollywood ◽  
...  

The involvement of Rho-associated kinase (ROK) in activation of rabbit urethral smooth muscle contraction was investigated by examining the effects of two structurally distinct inhibitors of ROK, Y27632 and H1152, on the contractile response to electric field stimulation, membrane depolarization with KCl, and α1-adrenoceptor stimulation with phenylephrine. Both compounds inhibited contractions elicited by all three stimuli. The protein kinase C inhibitor GF109203X, on the other hand, had no effect. Urethral smooth muscle strips were analyzed for phosphorylation of three potential direct or indirect substrates of ROK: 1) myosin regulatory light chains (LC20) at S19, 2) the myosin-targeting subunit of myosin light chain phosphatase (MYPT1) at T697 and T855, and 3) cofilin at S3. The following results were obtained: 1) under resting tension, LC20 was phosphorylated to 0.65 ± 0.02 mol Pi/mol LC20 ( n = 21) at S19; 2) LC20 phosphorylation did not change in response to KCl or phenylephrine; 3) ROK inhibition had no effect on LC20 phosphorylation in the absence or presence of contractile stimuli; 4) under resting conditions, MYPT1 was partially phosphorylated at T697 and T855 and cofilin at S3; 5) phosphorylation of MYPT1 and cofilin was unaffected by KCl or phenylephrine; and 6) KCl- and phenylephrine-induced contraction-relaxation cycles did not correlate with actin polymerization-depolymerization. We conclude that ROK plays an important role in urethral smooth muscle contraction, but not via inhibition of MLCP or polymerization of actin.


2020 ◽  
Vol 318 (2) ◽  
pp. L442-L451
Author(s):  
Morgan Gazzola ◽  
Cyndi Henry ◽  
Katherine Lortie ◽  
Fatemeh Khadangi ◽  
Chan Young Park ◽  
...  

Force adaptation of airway smooth muscle (ASM) is a process whereby the presence of tone (i.e., a sustained contraction) increases the contractile capacity. For example, tone has been shown to increase airway responsiveness in both healthy mice and humans. The goal of the present study is to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. The maximal force generated by mouse tracheas was measured in response to 10−4 M of methacholine following a 30-min period with or without tone elicited by the EC30 of methacholine. To confirm the occurrence of force adaptation at the cellular level, traction force generated by cultured human ASM cells was also measured following a similar protocol. Different pharmacological inhibitors were used to investigate the role of Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase (ROCK), protein kinase C (PKC), myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), and actin polymerization in force adaptation. The phosphorylation level of the regulatory light chain (RLC) of myosin, the amount of actin filaments, and the activation level of the actin-severing protein cofilin were also quantified. Although ROCK, PKC, MLCK, and RLC phosphorylation was not implicated, force adaptation was prevented by inhibiting actin polymerization. Interestingly, the presence of tone blocked the activation of cofilin in addition to increasing the amount of actin filaments to a maximal level. We conclude that actin filamentogenesis induced by tone, resulting from both actin polymerization and the prevention of cofilin-mediated actin cleavage, is the main molecular mechanism underlying force adaptation.


2002 ◽  
Vol 283 (3) ◽  
pp. L596-L603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdoulaye Samb ◽  
Camille Taillé ◽  
Abdelhamid Almolki ◽  
Jérôme Mégret ◽  
James M. Staddon ◽  
...  

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) increase the contractile response of airway smooth muscle (ASM). Heme oxygenase (HO) catabolizes heme to the powerful antioxidant bilirubin. Because HO is expressed in the airways, we investigated its effects on ASM contractility and ROS production in guinea pig trachea. HO expression was higher in the epithelium than in tracheal smooth muscle. Incubation of tracheal rings (TR) with the HO inhibitor tin protoporphyrin (SnPP IX) or the HO substrate hemin increased and decreased, respectively, ASM contractile response to carbamylcholine. The effect of hemin was reversed by SnPP and mimicked by the antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase. Hemin significantly reduced the effect of carbamylcholine in rings treated with the guanylate cyclase inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo-[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), compared with ODQ-treated rings without hemin incubation, suggesting that the CO-guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate pathway was not involved in the control of tracheal reactivity. SnPP and hemin increased and decreased ROS production by TR by 18 and 38%, respectively. Bilirubin (100 pM) significantly decreased TR contractility and ROS production. Hemin, bilirubin, and SOD/catalase decreased phosphorylation of the contractile protein myosin light chain, whereas SnPP significantly augmented it. These data suggest that modulation of the redox status by HO and, moreover, by bilirubin modulates ASM contractility by modulating levels of phosphorylated myosin light chain.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayra D. Álvarez-Santos ◽  
Marisol Álvarez-González ◽  
Samuel Estrada-Soto ◽  
Blanca Bazán-Perkins

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