title: Angiotensin II mediates a sustained rise in nuclear and cytoplasmic calcium via multiple receptor subtypes.
abstract: Alterations in nuclear calcium levels in response to angiotensin II (ANG II) may play an important role in the trophic actions of ANG II. This study utilized confocal microscopy and nuclear staining to test the hypothesis that both nuclear and cytoplasmic calcium levels are altered in response to ANG II stimulation of freshly dissociated aortic smooth muscle cells. Cells were loaded with the calcium indicator fluo 3 acetoxymethyl ester, and the calcium response to ANG II stimulation was analyzed over time with a laser-scanning confocal microscope. Additionally, the ratiometric calcium indicator fura 2 acetoxymethyl ester and conventional fluorescence microscopy were used to verify these observations. Results show that basal nuclear calcium exceeds cytoplasmic calcium in these cells. Stimulation by ANG II induces a sustained rise (separate from the rapid transient) in both nuclear and cytoplasmic calcium in excess of 20 min in duration. This rise was blockable by either the AT1 receptor antagonist DuP-753 or by the AT2 antagonist PD-123319. Thus ANG II stimulates a sustained rise in nuclear calcium by a mechanism that necessitates activation of both AT1 and AT2 receptors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226, USA.
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Munzenmaier
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Greene
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000494:pharmacology*; D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D000814:Aniline Compounds; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D016257:Fura-2 / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011945:Receptors, Angiotensin / Q000502:physiology*; D014966:Xanthenes
chemical_list: D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D000814:Aniline Compounds; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D011945:Receptors, Angiotensin; D014966:Xanthenes; C049925:fura-2-am; D000804:Angiotensin II; C059715:Fluo-3; D002118:Calcium; D016257:Fura-2