title: Pregnancy switches adrenergic signal transduction in rat and human uterine myocytes as probed by BKCa channel activity.
abstract: 1. We used large conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BKCa) channel activity as a probe to characterize the inhibitory/stimulatory G protein (Gi/Gs) signalling pathways in intact cells from pregnant (PM) and non-pregnant (NPM) myometrium. 2. Isoprenaline (10 microM) enhanced the outward current (Iout) in PM cells and inhibited Iout in NPM cells. Additional application of the alpha2-adrenoceptor (alpha2-AR) agonist clonidine (10 microM) further enhanced the isoprenaline-modulated Iout in PM cells but partially antagonized Iout in NPM cells. Clonidine alone did not affect Iout. The specific cAMP kinase (PKA) inhibitor H-89 (1 microM) abolished the effects of isoprenaline and clonidine. The specific BKCa channel blocker iberiotoxin (0.1 microM) inhibited Iout by approximately 80 %; the residual current was insensitive to isoprenaline. 3. Inhibition of Gi activity by either pertussis toxin or the GTPase activating protein RGS16 abolished inhibitory as well as stimulatory effects of clonidine on Iout. 4. Transducin-alpha, a scavenger of Gi betagamma dimers, converted the stimulatory action of clonidine on Iout into an inhibitory effect. Free transducin-betagamma enhanced both the stimulatory and the inhibitory effects of isoprenaline on Iout. 5. The results demonstrate that BKCa channel activity is a sensitive probe to follow adenylyl cyclase-cAMP-PKA signalling in myometrial smooth muscle cells. Both Gialpha-mediated inhibition and Gibetagamma-mediated stimulation can occur in the same cell, irrespective of pregnancy. It is speculated that the coupling between alpha2-AR and Gi proteins is more efficient during pregnancy and that Gibetagamma at high levels simply override the inhibitory action of Gi alpha.
authors.affiliation: Institut fur Experimentelle und Klinische Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, und Frauenklinik, Universitats-Krankenhaus Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: X B
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: G X
authors.initials: GX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Huneke
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wieland
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korth
mesh_terms: D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000378:metabolism; D058647:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists; D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000201:enzymology; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051036:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D024681:Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018341:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000187:drug effects; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D058647:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists; D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D051036:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels; D015221:Potassium Channels; D024681:Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated; D018341:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases; D002118:Calcium