title: Cyclic AMP relaxes swine arterial smooth muscle predominantly by decreasing cell Ca2+ concentration.
abstract: 1. Our objective was to evaluate the mechanism of cyclic AMP-dependent arterial smooth muscle relaxation. Cyclic AMP-dependent relaxation has been proposed to result from either (a) a decrease in intracellular [Ca2+] or (b) a decrease in [Ca2+] sensitivity of myosin light chain kinase by protein kinase A-dependent phosphorylation of myosin kinase. 2. We evaluated these proposed mechanisms by examining forskolin-induced changes in aequorin-estimated myoplasmic [Ca2+], [cyclic AMP], myosin phosphorylation and stress generation in agonist-stimulated or KCl-depolarized swine common carotid media tissues. 3. Forskolin, an activator of adenylyl cyclase, increased [cyclic AMP] and reduced [Ca2+], myosin phosphorylation and stress in tissues pre-contracted with phenylephrine or histamine. This relaxation was not associated with an alteration of the [Ca2+] sensitivity of phosphorylation, nor the dependence of stress on phosphorylation. 4. Forskolin pre-treatment attenuated, but did not abolish, agonist-induced increases in [Ca2+] and stress. 5. These results suggest that cyclic AMP-induced relaxation of the agonist-stimulated swine carotid media is primarily caused by cyclic AMP-mediated decreases in myoplasmic [Ca2+].
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: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Rembold
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries; D005576:Colforsin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects*; D009219:Myosin-Light-Chain Kinase / Q000378:metabolism; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D005576:Colforsin; D010656:Phenylephrine; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D009219:Myosin-Light-Chain Kinase; D002118:Calcium