Endothelial [Ca2+]i is an integrating signal for the vascular tone in rat aortae.docVIP

BMC Physiology (2001) 1:5 /1472-6793/1/5 Research article BMC Physiology (2001) 1:5 Endothelial [Ca2+]i is an integrating signal for the vascular tone in rat aortae Tung-Yi Huang, Hsiun-ing Chen, Chin-Yen Liu and Chauying J Jen* Address: Department of Physiology, National Cheng-Kung University Medical College, Tainan 701, Taiwan E-mail: Tung-Yi Huang - s5887101@sparc1.cc.ncku.ed.tw; Hsiun-ing Chen - hichen@.tw; Chin- Yen Liu - s3688106@.tw; Chauying J Jen* - jen@.tw *Corresponding author Published: 20 June 2001 Received: 6 January 2001 Accepted: 20 June 2001 BMC Physiology 2001, 1:5 This article is available from: /1472-6793/1/5 (c) 2001 Huang et al, licensee BioMed Central Ltd. Abstract Background: Although various endothelium-dependent relaxing factors (endothelial autacoids) 2+ 2+ are released upon the elevation of endothelial cytosolic free Ca concentration (EC [Ca ]i), the 2+ quantitative relationship between EC [Ca ]i and vascular tone remains to be established. 2+ Moreover, whether the basal release of endothelial autacoids is modulated by basal EC [Ca ]i is still unclear. We assessed these issues by using a novel method that allows simultaneous recording 2+ of EC [Ca ]i and vascular displacement in dissected rat aortic segments. Results: Receptor-dependent (acetylcholine) or independent (ionomycin) agonists caused immediate EC [Ca2+]i elevation followed by vasorelaxation in preparations pre-contracted with 2+ phenylephrine. Low doses of agonists induced small EC [Ca ]i elevations (about 100 nmol/L) and concomitant half-maximal vasorelaxation. At high doses, agonists elevated EC [Ca ]i to μmol/L range with little additional vasodilatation. When EC [Ca2+]i was plotted against the vasorelaxation, the curves were almost identical for both acetylcholine and ionomycin treatments, in the presence or absence of various endothelial autacoid inhibitors. Calcium-free solution red