title: Vascular smooth muscle contraction evoked by cell volume modulation: role of the cytoskeleton network.
abstract: Previously, we reported that hyposmotic swelling evoked transient vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) contraction that was completely abolished by L-type Ca(2+) channel blockers. In contrast, sustained contraction revealed in hyper- and isoosmotically-shrunken SMCs was insensitive to L-type channel blockers and was diminished in Ca(2+)-free medium by only 30-50%. Several research groups reported cell volume-dependent cytoskeleton network rearrangements. This study examines the role of cytoskeleton proteins in cell volume-dependent contraction of endothelium-denuded vascular smooth muscle rings (VSMR) from the rat thoracic aorta. Hyperosmotic shrinkage and hyposmotic swelling were triggered by modulation of medium osmolality; isosmotic shrinkage was induced by VSMR transfer from hypo- to isosmotic medium. The relative content of globular (G) and fibrillar (F) actin was estimated by fluorescence microscopy. Hyperosmotic shrinkage and hyposmotic swelling led to elevation of the F-actin/G-actin ratio by 2.5- and 1.8-fold respectively. Contraction of shrunken and swollen VSMR was insensitive to modulators of microtubules such as vinblastine, colchicine and docetaxel. Microfilament disassembly by cytochalasin B resulted in dramatic attenuation of the maximal amplitude of contraction of hyperosmotically-shrunken and hyposmotically-swollen VSMR, and almost completely abolished the contraction triggered by isosmotic shrinkage. These data suggest that both L-type Ca(2+) channel-mediated contraction of swollen vascular SMC and Ca(2+)(o)-insensitive contractions of shrunken cells are triggered by reorganization of the microfilament network caused by elevation of the F-actin/G-actin ratio.
authors.affiliation: Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) Technopôle Angus, Montreal, PQ, Canada.
authors.forename: Svetlana V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Koltsova
authors.forename: Svetlana V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Gusakova
authors.forename: Yana J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Anfinogenova
authors.forename: Mikhail B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Baskakov
authors.forename: Sergei N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Orlov
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D003571:Cytochalasin B / Q000494:pharmacology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D003571:Cytochalasin B; D014747:Vinblastine