The relationship between potentiation of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT)-induced contraction by endothelin-1 (ET-1) and the activity of protein kinase C (PKC) was examined in the porcine coronary artery. Low concentrations (30-100 pM) of ET-1 selectively potentiated the 5-HT-induced contraction 1.5 to 2 times over the control without any additional increase in myosin light-chain phosphorylation. The potentiation was attenuated by PKC down-regulation caused by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. By Western blot analysis with isoform-specific antibodies to PKC, at least four isoforms (PKCalpha, PKCbeta1, PKCdelta and PKCzeta) were identified in the porcine coronary artery. PKCalpha and PKCdelta were mostly in the cytosol fraction, whereas PKCbeta1 and PKCzeta were almost equally distributed in the cytosol and membrane fractions in the resting and contractile states. Of the four isoforms, only PKCdelta was translocated from the cytosol to the membrane fraction during the contractile potentiation by ET-1. These results suggest that the activity of PKCdelta, a Ca2+-independent PKC isoform, is involved in the potentiation of 5-HT-induced contraction by ET-1 in the porcine coronary artery.

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Mechanical stretch applied to canine cerebral artery produced myogenic contraction. The contraction of the artery in response to quick stretch was dependent on not only the transmembrane influx of Ca2+ through 1,4-dihydropyridine-sensitive Ca2+ channels but also the release of Ca2+ from intracellular storage sites: the stretch-produced contractile component that was resistant to 0.1 microM nicardipine, a Ca(2+)-channel antagonist, was inhibited by about 50% after treatment with ryanodine, and was almost completely suppressed by 0.1 mM 2-nitro-4-carboxyphenyl-N,N-diphenylcarbamate, a putative phospholipase C inhibitor, or by lowering the temperature from 35 to 20 degrees C. The results suggest that in addition to transmembrane influx of Ca2+ through L-type Ca2+ channels, the release of Ca2+ from both ryanodine-sensitive and -insensitive intracellular storage sites, which increases intracellular Ca2+, accounts for the stretch-induced contraction of canine basilar artery. It seems also possible that inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate is a common mediator for the release of Ca2+ from both types of intracellular storage sites.

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