|
|
||||||||
Department of Physiology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York 10595; and Department of Pathophysiology, Semmelweis University, 1445 Budapest, Hungary
In skeletal muscle arterioles, the pathway leading to non-nitric oxide (NO), non-prostaglandin-mediated endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF)-type dilations is not well characterized. To elucidate some of the steps in this process, simultaneous changes in endothelial intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and the diameter of rat gracilis muscle arterioles (~60 µm) to acetylcholine (ACh) were measured by fura 2 microfluorimetry (in the absence of NO and prostaglandins). ACh elicited rapid increases in endothelial [Ca2+]i (101 ± 7%), followed by substantial dilations (73 ± 2%, coupling time: 1.3 ± 0.2 s) that were prevented by endothelial loading of an intracellular Ca2+ chelator [1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid]. Arteriolar dilations to ACh were also inhibited by intraluminal administration of the Ca2+-activated K+ (KCa) channel blockers charybdotoxin plus apamin or by palmitoleic acid, an uncoupler of myoendothelial gap junctions without affecting changes in endothelial [Ca2+]i. The presence of large conductance KCa channels on arteriolar endothelial cells was demonstrated with immunohistochemisty. We propose that in skeletal muscle arterioles, EDHF-type mediation is evoked by an increase in endothelial [Ca2+]i, which by activating endothelial KCa channels elicits hyperpolarization that is conducted via myoendothelial gap junctions to the smooth muscle resulting in decreases in [Ca2+]i and consequently dilation.
endothelium-dependent hyperpolarizing factor; arteriolar endothelium; potassium channels; charybdotoxin
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
Y. N. Tallini, J. F. Brekke, B. Shui, R. Doran, S.-m. Hwang, J. Nakai, G. Salama, S. S. Segal, and M. I. Kotlikoff Propagated Endothelial Ca2+ Waves and Arteriolar Dilation In Vivo: Measurements in Cx40BAC GCaMP2 Transgenic Mice Circ. Res., December 7, 2007; 101(12): 1300 - 1309. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D. Hong, D. Jaron, D. G. Buerk, and K. A. Barbee Heterogeneous response of microvascular endothelial cells to shear stress Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, June 1, 2006; 290(6): H2498 - H2508. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. Ledoux, M. E. Werner, J. E. Brayden, and M. T. Nelson Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels and the Regulation of Vascular Tone Physiology, February 1, 2006; 21(1): 69 - 78. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C. Cseko, Z. Bagi, and A. Koller Biphasic effect of hydrogen peroxide on skeletal muscle arteriolar tone via activation of endothelial and smooth muscle signaling pathways J Appl Physiol, September 1, 2004; 97(3): 1130 - 1137. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
E. van Bavel Shear stress and intermediate-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels Cardiovasc Res, December 1, 2003; 60(3): 457 - 459. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. P. Marrelli, M. S. Eckmann, and M. S. Hunte Role of endothelial intermediate conductance KCa channels in cerebral EDHF-mediated dilations Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, October 1, 2003; 285(4): H1590 - H1599. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
Y. Morio, E. P. Carter, M. Oka, and I. F. McMurtry EDHF-mediated vasodilation involves different mechanisms in normotensive and hypertensive rat lungs Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, May 1, 2003; 284(5): H1762 - H1770. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Visit Other APS Journals Online |