title: Nitrovasodilators relax arterial smooth muscle by decreasing [Ca2+]i and uncoupling stress from myosin phosphorylation.
abstract: Elevations in guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate concentration ([cGMP]) are proposed to induce arterial smooth muscle relaxation by either 1) decreasing myoplasmic [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]i), 2) decreasing the [Ca2+]i sensitivity of phosphorylation, or 3) uncoupling force from myosin phosphorylation. We evaluated the importance of each of these mechanisms by measuring changes in [cGMP], aequorin- and fura-2-estimated [Ca2+]i, myosin light chain phosphorylation, and stress in histamine-stimulated swine carotid arteries. In tissues submaximally stimulated with 3 microM histamine, nitroprusside (NP) induced a proportional decrease in myoplasmic [Ca2+] and myosin phosphorylation, suggesting that the relaxation was at least partially induced by decreases in [Ca2+]i without a change in the [Ca2+]i sensitivity of phosphorylation. In tissues maximally stimulated with 10 microM histamine, NP and nitroglycerin produced significant relaxations that were not associated with significant sustained reductions in [Ca2+]i or myosin phosphorylation. With both submaximal and maximal histamine stimulation, nitrovasodilators produced more substantial relaxation than that expected from the nitrovasodilator-induced reduction in myosin phosphorylation. These results suggest that nitrovasodilators relax histamine-stimulated swine arterial smooth muscle by at least two mechanisms: 1) reducing [Ca2+]i, an effect observed in submaximally stimulated tissues, and 2) uncoupling of stress from myosin phosphorylation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville 22908.
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: McDaniel
authors.forename: X L
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Rembold
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000187:drug effects*; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000494:pharmacology; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000494:pharmacology; D006632:Histamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009218:Myosins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009574:Nitro Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000494:pharmacology; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010766:Phosphorylation; D013552:Swine; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D009574:Nitro Compounds; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D009599:Nitroprusside; D006632:Histamine; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D009218:Myosins; D005996:Nitroglycerin; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D002118:Calcium