Thapsigargin, a Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor, relaxes guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle by producing epithelium-dependent relaxing factors.
A non-phorbol ester-type tumor promoter, thapsigargin has been reported to deplete Ca(2+) stores in endothelial cells by inhibiting Ca(2+)-ATPase, which in turn increases intracellular Ca(2+) by mobilization of extracellular Ca(2+), leading to activation of constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) and resultant generation of nitric oxide (NO). In the present study, to evaluate the role of Ca(2+) in the release of epithelium-dependent relaxing factor (EpDRF), we determined the effect of thapsigargin (10(-6) M) on the contraction evoked by exogenous Ca(2+) or acetylcholine (10(-5) M) in epithelium-denuded or epithelium-intact smooth muscle from guinea pig trachea. The following results were obtained: (1) In epithelium-denuded smooth muscle, the contraction evoked by exogenous Ca(2+) in Ca(2+)-free solution or by acetylcholine (10(-5) M) in Ca(2+)-containing solution did not change within 20 min after thapsigargin application, but the contraction evoked by exogenous Ca(2+) increased markedly after 120 min, indicating that thapsigargin had no effect on smooth muscle itself within 20 min of application. The following experiments were performed within 20 min of thapsigargin application. (2) In epithelium-intact smooth muscle, thapsigargin significantly suppressed the contraction evoked by acetylcholine, suggesting that thapsigargin stimulate the epithelium to produce EpDRF. N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME) partly, but significantly, attenuated this inhibitory effect of thapsigargin. (3) In epithelium-denuded smooth muscle, atropine (10(-6) M) and L-NAME (10(-5) M) did not change the contraction evoked by exogenous Ca(2+) after application of thapsigargin, suggesting that thapsigargin did not stimulate acetylcholine and NO release from nerve terminals. These results suggest that thapsigargin (10(-6) M) may stimulate EpDRF, including NO and other factor(s) by Ca(2+)-dependent mechanisms.
Takahashi
N
N
Research Institute for Diseases of the Chest, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Fukuoka 812-8582, Higashi-ku, Japan.
Aizawa
H
H
Fukuyama
S
S
Inoue
H
H
Nishima
S
S
Hara
N
N
D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001685:Biological Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008297:Male; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000187:drug effects*; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D019284:Thapsigargin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014132:Trachea / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
D001685:Biological Factors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; C056250:epithelium-derived relaxant factor; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019284:Thapsigargin; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases; D000109:Acetylcholine; D002118:Calcium