title: Effects of P2 purinoceptor agonists on membrane potential and intracellular Ca2+ of human cardiac endothelial cells.
abstract: Vasoactive agonists like adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) increase intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in vascular endothelial cells with an initial peak due to inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate-mediated Ca2+ release from intracellular stores followed by a sustained plateau that is dependent on the presence of extracellular Ca2+, thus leading to an increased synthesis and release of prostacyclin and nitric oxide. We studied the effects of nucleotides on membrane potential and [Ca2+]i in confluent human microvascular cardiac endothelial cells obtained from patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. The whole-cell configuration of the patch-clamp technique and a confocal laser scanning microscope employing fluo-3 as a Ca2+ indicator were used. Both uridine-5'-triphosphate (UTP) and 2-methylthioadenosine-5'-triphosphate (2MeSATP) induced depolarizations in human microvascular cardiac endothelial cells and increased [Ca2+]i with a rank order of potency 2MeSATP>ATP=UTP (EC50 values (in microM) were 0.084 2MeSATP, 0.67 ATP and 1.1 UTP). This suggests that both P2u and P2y purinoceptors are present on human microvascular cardiac endothelial cells. Maximal [Ca2+]i responses of confluent human microvascular cardiac endothelial cell monolayers to UTP were lower when compared to 2MeSATP. Nucleotide-induced increases in [Ca2+]i consisted of a transient peak, which was also observed in the absence of extracellular Ca2+, and a sustained [Ca2+]i plateau. This plateau, which was not observed in all monolayers studied, was not markedly influenced by increasing extracellular [K+]. Previous incubation with thapsigargin abolished ATP-induced increases of [Ca2+]i. It is concluded that human microvascular cardiac endothelial cells express both P2y and P2u purinoceptors. P2 purinoceptor agonists release Ca2+ from intracellular thapsigargin-sensitive stores and stimulate capacitative Ca2+ influx pathways. K+ efflux through Ca2+-dependent K+ (K(Ca)) channels does not play a major role in the regulation of nucleotide-induced Ca2+ influx in human microvascular cardiac endothelial cells, which might be related to an impaired function of the cells.
authors.affiliation: Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Zünkler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gräfe
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Henning
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kühne
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ott
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fleck
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Hildebrandt
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000814:Aniline Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000378:metabolism; D058910:Purinergic P2 Receptor Agonists; D018048:Receptors, Purinergic P2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D013873:Thionucleotides / Q000494:pharmacology; D014544:Uridine Triphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014966:Xanthenes / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000814:Aniline Compounds; D058910:Purinergic P2 Receptor Agonists; D018048:Receptors, Purinergic P2; D013873:Thionucleotides; D014966:Xanthenes; C059715:Fluo-3; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D002118:Calcium; D014544:Uridine Triphosphate; C008501:2-methylthio-ATP