Keishi Abe

Difference between the effects of atrial natriuretic peptide and calcium antagonist on cytosolic free calcium in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells.

&NA; The effect of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) on cytosolic free calcium ([Ca2+]i) was studied in monolayers of cultured vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells loaded with a fluorescent calcium indicator, fura‐2. ANP (atriopeptin 111, 10‐8 M) decreased the resting level of [Ca2+]i and sustained rises in [Ca2+]i following peak levels induced by vasoconstrictive hormones (angiotensin II or vasopressin). ANP also decreased a rise in [Ca2+]i induced by high potassium (high K+) depolarization. The initial rise in [Ca2+]i induced by vasopressin was not inhibited by ANP. On the other hand, calcium antagonists (nicardipine or nifedipine) inhibited the high K+‐induced rise in [Ca2+]i, whereas there was no effect on rises in [Ca2+]i induced by vasopressin. These results suggest that calcium antagonists inhibit voltage‐dependent calcium channels, while ANP can decrease [Ca2+]i presumably through a stimulation of calcium‐extrusion active transports in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Renal kallikrein activity in spontaneously hypertensive rats

To assess possible roles of the renal kallikrein-kinin system in the development of spontaneous hypertension, we determined daily excretion of urinary total and active kallikrein in 6-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats for up to 2 weeks. We also evaluated the effect of aprotinin, a reversible inhibitor of kallikrein and other serine proteases, on the development of hypertension in the 6-week-old SHR on ordinary intakes of sodium or on sodium loading with 1% NaCl for up to 2 weeks. Active kallikrein was determined by its kininogenase activity, and the generated kinins were radio-immunologically measured. Total kallikrein was also determined by measuring kininogenase activity after inactive kallikrein had been activated with trypsin (200 micrograms/ml). Urinary active kallikrein excretion was significantly reduced in 7-week-old SHR (1.5 +/- 0.2 microgram/day compared to 2.8 +/- 0.3 micrograms/day in WKY, P less than 0.05) and in 8-week-old SHR (1.6 +/- 0.2 microgram/day compared to 3.2 +/- 0.4 micrograms/day in WKY, P less than 0.01). Urinary total kallikrein excretion was also reduced in the 7- and 8-week-old SHR whereas the ratio of active to total kallikrein did not change. In addition, renal contents of total and active kallikrein were significantly lower in the 8-week-old SHR than in the controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Papillary collecting tubule responsiveness to vasoactive hormones in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Renal papillary collecting tubule (RPCT) hormone responsiveness was compared between cultured RPCT cells from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). Unstimulated cells from 4-week-old SHR produced less prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and cyclic (c)AMP than comparable cells from WKY, while cells from both strains synthesized similar amounts of PGE2 after stimulation with arachidonate, A23187 or bradykinin and similar amounts of cAMP after stimulation with vasopressin or PGE2. There was no difference in basal or stimulated levels of cyclic (c)GMP between the strains. In RPCT cells from 16-week-old rats, basal levels of cAMP, cGMP and PGE2 were significantly lower than those from 4-week-old rats, but they did not differ between the strains. These results suggest that RPCT cells of SHR and WKY at the post-weaning period may differ in the metabolism of PGE2 and cAMP. This difference may be attributed to the possible defect in arachidonate availability in SHR.