store, but partially blocked by ryanodine or inhibition of lysosomerelated acidic organelles with bafilomycin A1. Simultaneous inhibition of both pathways was necessary to abolish the response. GRGDSP treatment increased cyclic ADP-ribose , the endogenous activator of ryanodine receptors, by 70%. GRGDSP also rapidly reduced Lysotracker Red accumulation, confirming direct modulation of acidic organelles. These data are the first demonstration of integrin-mediated Ca 2؉ regulation in PASMCs. The presence of an array of integrins, and activation of ryanodine-sensitive Ca 2؉ stores and lysosome-like organelles by GRGDSP suggest important roles for integrin-dependent Ca 2؉ signaling in regulating PASMC function.
Extracellular matrix (ECM)2 protein receptors, or integrins, comprise a superfamily of structurally related heterodimeric transmembrane receptors that mediate cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions. Integrins physically bridge the ECM and cytoskeleton, and act as transducers of "outside-in" and "inside-out" signaling (1). Extracellular integrin ligation changes [Ca 2ϩ ] i in a variety of cell types, including platelets, neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, osteoclasts, neurons, glomerulosa cells, epithelial and smooth muscle cells (2-5). Integrin ligation also activates other intracellular signaling molecules, including H ϩ and a plethora of protein kinases such as the focal adhesion kinase, Rac, and extracellular signal regulated kinases (1, 6). As a result, a myriad of cellular functions such as differentiation, proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and mechanosensing for shear and tension are affected (6, 7).Integrins participate in controlling systemic vascular tone by invoking changes in smooth muscle [Ca 2ϩ ] i , resulting in relaxation or contraction. Synthetic ligands carrying the prototypic integrin-binding tripeptide motif, arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD), decrease [Ca 2ϩ ] i causing vasodilation in rat cremaster muscle arterioles (8, 9). On the other hand, RGD-containing peptides constrict rat renal afferent arterioles through increased [Ca 2ϩ ] i (10, 11). Other integrin binding sequences also exist, such as leucine-aspartate-valine (LDV), which elevates [Ca 2ϩ ] i and causes vasoconstriction of rat cremaster muscle arterioles (12). Integrins ␣ 5  1 and ␣ v  3 are, furthermore, directly involved in the vascular myogenic behavior, where blockade of either integrin inhibits myogenic constriction of skeletal muscle arterioles (13).Apart from regulating tone, integrins play an important role in vascular pathogenesis. This is evidenced by the remodeling and deposition of ECM components seen in various vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, and restenosis (5). In the pulmonary vasculature, remodeling occurs in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, scleroderma, and pulmonary hypertension (14). Interestingly, pulmonary vascular remodeling has been linked to integrin activation in rat models recapitulating pulmonary hypertension. Previo...