anandamide and 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl-borate

At birth, the increase in oxygen causes contraction of the ductus arteriosus, thus diverting blood flow to the lungs. Although this contraction is modulated by substances such as endothelin and dilator prostaglandins, normoxic contraction is an intrinsic property of ductus smooth muscle. Normoxic inhibition of potassium channels causes membrane depolarization and calcium entry through L-type calcium channels. However, the studies reported here show that after inhibition of this pathway there is still substantial normoxic contraction, indicating the involvement of additional mechanisms.. Using ductus ring experiments, calcium imaging, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and cellular electrophysiology, we find that this depolarization-independent contraction is caused by release of calcium from the IP3-sensitive store in the sarcoplasmic reticulum, by subsequent calcium entry through store-operated channels, and by increased calcium sensitization of actin-myosin filaments, involving Rho-kinase.. Much of the normoxic contraction of the ductus arteriosus at birth is related to calcium entry through store-operated channels, encoded by the transient receptor potential superfamily of genes, and to increased calcium sensitization. A clearer understanding of the mechanisms involved in normoxic contraction of the ductus will permit the development of better therapy to close the patent ductus arteriosus, which constitutes approximately 10% of all congenital heart disease and is especially common in premature infants.

Topics: Animals; Arachidonic Acids; Boron Compounds; Calcium; Calcium Channel Blockers; Calcium Channels, L-Type; Calcium Signaling; Cytosol; Ductus Arteriosus; Endocannabinoids; Imidazoles; In Vitro Techniques; Indoles; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Isoquinolines; Maleimides; Menthol; Mibefradil; Muscle Contraction; Nifedipine; Niflumic Acid; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxygen; Patch-Clamp Techniques; Polyunsaturated Alkamides; Potassium Channels; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; Rabbits; rho-Associated Kinases; Ruthenium Red; Sulfonamides; Tetraethylammonium; Thapsigargin; Thiourea

To evaluate interaction of vanilloid receptor type 1 (TRPV1) with endogenous Ca(2+) signalling mechanisms, TRPV1 was expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf 9) insect cells using recombinant baculovirus. Stimulation of TRPV1-expressing cells, but not control Sf 9 cells, with resiniferatoxin (RTX), capsaicin or anandamide, produced an increase in cytosolic free Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)), with EC(50) values of 166 pM, 24.5 nM and 3.89 microM respectively. In the absence of extracellular Ca(2+), both capsaicin and RTX caused an increase in [Ca(2+)](i) with EC(50) values of approx. 10 microM and 10 nM respectively. This TRPV1-induced release of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores was not blocked by U73122, suggesting that phospholipase C was not involved. Substantial overlap was found between the thapsigargin- and RTX-sensitive internal Ca(2+) pools, and confocal imaging showed that intracellular TRPV1 immunofluorescence co-localized with the endoplasmic reticulum targeting motif KDEL. To determine if TRPV1-induced mobilization of intracellular Ca(2+) activates endogenous store-operated Ca(2+) entry, the effect of 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) on Ba(2+) influx was examined. 2-APB blocked thapsigargin-induced Ba(2+) influx, but not RTX-induced Ba(2+) entry. In the combined presence of thapsigargin and a store-releasing concentration of RTX, the 2-APB-sensitive component was essentially identical with the thapsigargin-induced component. Similar results were obtained in HEK-293 cells stably expressing TRPV1. These results suggest that TRPV1 forms agonist-sensitive channels in the endoplasmic reticulum, which when activated, release Ca(2+) from internal stores, but fail to activate endogenous store-operated Ca(2+) entry. Selective activation of intracellular TRPV1, without concomitant involvement of plasmalemmal Ca(2+) influx mechanisms, could play an important role in Ca(2+) signalling within specific subcellular microdomains.

Topics: Animals; Arachidonic Acids; Baculoviridae; Barium; Boron Compounds; Calcium; Calcium Channel Blockers; Calcium Channels; Calcium Signaling; Cannabinoids; Capsaicin; Cells, Cultured; Diterpenes; Endocannabinoids; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Enzyme Inhibitors; Humans; Immunoblotting; Ion Transport; Microscopy, Confocal; Neurotoxins; Polyunsaturated Alkamides; Rats; Receptors, Drug; Recombinant Proteins; Thapsigargin; Transfection; TRPV Cation Channels; Type C Phospholipases