Role of cytosolic ca2+ and protein kinase c in developing myogenic contraction in isolated rat small arteries. Karibe, Akihiko, Jun Watanabe, Satoru Horiguchi, Masaharu Takeuchi, Shu Suzuki, Masayuki Funakoshi, Hiroshi Katoh, Mitsumasa Keitoku, Shoichi Satoh, and Kunio Shirato. First Department of Internal Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine
APStracts 3:0458H, 1996.
Cytosolic Ca2+ and protein kinase C (PKC) may regulate the myogenic contraction of arterial myocytes. The role of these second messengers are examined in skeletal muscle small arteries (ASK) which have strong myogenic activity and mesenteric small arteries (AMS) which have weak myogenic activity. The vessels were isolated and cannulated. The inner diameter was measured with a video-digitizing system. [Ca2+]i was assessed by fura-2. ASK dilated from 122(6 to 153(6 (m immediately after the transmural pressure change from 40 to 100 mmHg and constricted to 121(5 (m (myogenic contraction) with an increase in the 340/380 fluorescent ratio (by 33%) in control state. Nifedipine[umlaut]u@abolished myogenic contraction and the fluorescent ratio increase.[umlaut]u@PKC inhibitors (H7 and staurosporine) abolished myogenic contraction, but did not depress the fluorescent ratio increase. In AMS, myogenic contraction was insignificant in control.[umlaut]u@A relatively low dose of PKC activator (4.4(1.4 nmol/L) elicited myogenic contraction, but a higher dose (21(6 nmol/L) rather depressed. Thus, the cytosolic Ca2+ increase and PKC activity may cooperatively act on the myogenic contraction of ASK. The activity of PKC should play an important role in myogenic contraction of rat small arteries.

Received 26 January 1996; accepted in final form 11 September
1996.
APS Manuscript Number H80-6.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Heart Circ. Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 5 November 1996