Release of arachidonic acid by agonist-mediated activation of pla2 initiates ca2+ mobilization in intestinal smooth muscle. Murthy, Karnam S., John F. Kuemmerle, and Gabriel M. Makhlouf. Departments of Physiology and Medicine, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0711
APStracts 2:0033G, 1995.
Recent studies have shown that Ca2+ mobilization in circular smooth muscle of the intestine is mediated by IP3-dependent Ca2+ release while Ca2+ mobilization in longitudinal muscle is initiated by IP3 -independent influx of Ca2+ that acts as a trigger for Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release. The present study examined whether arachidonic acid (AA) acts as mediator of the initial Ca2+ influx in longitudinal muscle. CCK-8 caused transient concentration-dependent increase in AA release in dispersed longitudinal muscle cells only followed by a sustained increase in both muscle cell types. The initial increase in AA release coincided with an increase in [Ca2+]i and muscle contraction: all three events occurred in the presence of cyclo -oxygenase and lipoxygenase inhibitors, were abolished by GDP[beta]S and pertussis toxin (PTx) and were dose-dependently inhibited by the PLA2 inhibitor, dimethyleicosadienoic acid (DEDA), but were not affected by the PKC inhibitor, calphostin C, or by neomycin, which abolished concomitant PI hydrolysis. Exogenous AA caused concentration-dependent contraction and increase in [Ca2+]i in longitudinal but not circular muscle cells; contraction and the increase in [Ca2+]i were abolished by Ca2+ channel blockers. Depletion of Ca2+ stores with thapsigargin attenuated agonist- and AA-mediated increase in [Ca2+]i and contraction in longitudinal muscle cells: the residual [Ca2+]i increase (35%) and contraction (25%) reflected the component of Ca2+ influx; similar treatment of circular muscle cells abolished agonist-mediated, IP3-dependent increase in [Ca2+]i and contraction. We conclude that AA released by agonist-mediated, G protein-dependent, PTx-sensitive activation of PLA2 acts as a mediator of Ca2+ influx that triggers Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release. The process is independent of PI hydrolysis and occurs exclusively in longitudinal smooth muscle, where Ca2+ release channels are highly sensitive to Ca2+, ryanodine and cADP ribose, and insensitive to IP3.

Received 9 December 1994; accepted in final form 16 February
1995.
APS Manuscript Number G480-4.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Gastrointest. Liver
Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 10 March 1995.