Cytosolic Ca2+ and protein kinase C (PKC) may regulate the myogenic contraction of arterial myocytes. The role of these second messengers is examined in skeletal muscle small arteries, which have strong myogenic activity, and mesenteric small arteries, which have weak myogenic activity. The vessels were isolated and cannulated. The inner diameter was measured with a video-digitizing system. Cytosolic Ca2+ concentration was assessed by fura 2. Skeletal muscle small arteries dilated from 122 +/- 6 to 153 +/- 6 microm immediately after the transmural pressure change from 40 to 100 mmHg and constricted to 121 +/- 5 microm (myogenic contraction) with an increase in the 340/380 fluorescence ratio (by approximately 33%) in control vessels. Nifedipine abolished myogenic contraction and the increase in the fluorescence ratio. PKC inhibitors (H7 and staurosporine) abolished myogenic contraction but did not depress the increase in the fluorescence ratio. In mesenteric small arteries, myogenic contraction was insignificant in control vessels. A relatively low dose of PKC activator (4.4 +/- 1.4 nmol/l) elicited myogenic contraction, but a higher dose (21 +/- 6 nmol/l) depressed it. Thus the cytosolic Ca2+ increase and PKC activity may cooperatively act on the myogenic contraction of skeletal muscle small arteries. The activity of PKC should play an important role in myogenic contraction of rat small arteries.

The role of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) in regulating myogenic tone and [Ca2+]i was examined with ryanodine and cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) in the rat skeletal muscle arteriole (A(sk)) and mesenteric arteriole (Ams). Arterioles were cannulated at both ends to control luminal pressure in a tissue bath. Luminal diameter was measured with a video-monitored microscopic system. Fura 2-AM was loaded to measure [Ca2+]i using the fluorescence intensity ratio at excitation wavelengths of 340 to 380 nm (F340/380). The myogenic response (luminal pressure was increased from 40 to 100 mm Hg) and the intrinsic tone at 40 mm Hg were observed in A(sk) but not in Ams. Ryanodine (10(-5) M decreased the steady-state diameter of A(sk) from 138 +/- 8 to 85 +/- 9 microns (P < .05) and increased the F340/380 ratio; these effects were reversed by nifedipine or Ca(2+)-free solution. Ryanodine shifted the [Ca2+]o-contraction response curve upward. CPA (10(-5) M) also decreased the steady-state diameter of A(sk) from 131 +/- 7 to 98 +/- 11 microns (P < .05). In contrast, Ams responded to neither ryanodine nor CPA. Caffeine-induced contractions were significantly reduced by either ryanodine or CPA in both arterioles. These results indicate that SR dysfunction increased the susceptibility of the arteriolar tone to [Ca2+]o and enhanced the tone of A(sk). In conclusion, the SR function may play a critical role in regulating [Ca2+]i and the intrinsic tone of A(sk) that was myogenically active at physiological luminal pressure.

No abstract

We tested the hypothesis that protein kinase C (PKC) activation plays a major role in alpha-adrenergic augmentation of the myogenic response in rat isolated arterioles. Lumen diameter measured was with a video-monitored microscopic system. Lumen diameter did not change (131 +/- 5 vs. 126 +/- 6 microns) despite an increase in lumen pressure from 40 to 100 mmHg. Phenylephrine (Phe; 3 x 10(-7) M) augmented the myogenic response, since lumen diameter decreased significantly from 117 +/- 8 to 101 +/- 8 microns. High potassium (40 mM) failed to augment the myogenic response, while constricting the vessels to nearly the same extent as did Phe. PKC inhibitors 1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine dihydrochloride (H-7, 5 x 10(-5) M, n = 7) and staurosporine (3 x 10(-9) M, n = 7) abolished the Phe-induced augmentation. H-7 and staurosporine depressed the myogenic response even without Phe. PKC activators phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (3 x 10(-9) M; n = 7) and 4 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (6 x 10(-8) M; n = 6) constricted the vessels by 11 +/- 2 and 18 +/- 3%, respectively. However, PKC activators failed to augment the myogenic response. These results suggest that PKC activation does not play a major role in alpha-adrenergic augmentation of the myogenic response in rat skeletal arterioles.

No abstract