Membrane properties and the excitatory junction potentials in smooth muscle cells of cochlear spiral modiolar artery in guinea pigs

Diverse Kir expression contributes to distinct bimodal distribution of resting potentials and vasotone responses of arterioles

The resting membrane potential (RP) of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is a major determinant of cytosolic calcium concentration and vascular tone. The heterogeneity of RPs and its underlying mechanism among different vascular beds remain poorly understood. We compared the RPs and vasomotion properties between the guinea pig spiral modiolar artery (SMA), brain arterioles (BA) and mesenteric arteries (MA). We found: 1) RPs showed a robust bimodal distribution peaked at -76 and -40 mV evenly in the SMA, unevenly at -77 and -51 mV in the BA and ~-71 and -52 mV in the MA. Ba(2+) 0.1 mM eliminated their high RP peaks ~-75 mV. 2) Cells with low RP (~-45 mV) hyperpolarized in response to 10 mM extracellular K(+), while cells with a high RP depolarized, and cells with intermediate RP (~-58 mV) displayed an initial hyperpolarization followed by prolonged depolarization. Moderate high K(+) typically induced dilation, constriction and a dilation followed by constriction in the SMA, MA and BA, respectively. 3) Boltzmann-fit analysis of the Ba(2+)-sensitive inward rectifier K(+) (Kir) whole-cell current showed that the maximum Kir conductance density significantly differed among the vessels, and the half-activation voltage was significantly more negative in the MA. 4) Corresponding to the whole-cell data, computational modeling simulated the three RP distribution patterns and the dynamics of RP changes obtained experimentally, including the regenerative swift shifts between the two RP levels after reaching a threshold. 5) Molecular works revealed strong Kir2.1 and Kir2.2 transcripts and Kir2.1 immunolabeling in all 3 vessels, while Kir2.3 and Kir2.4 transcript levels varied. We conclude that a dense expression of functional Kir2.X channels underlies the more negative RPs in endothelial cells and a subset of VSMC in these arterioles, and the heterogeneous Kir function is primarily responsible for the distinct bimodal RPs among these arterioles. The fast Kir-based regenerative shifts between two RP states could form a critical mechanism for conduction/spread of vasomotion along the arteriole axis.

Niflumic acid hyperpolarizes smooth muscle cells via calcium-activated potassium channel in spiral modiolar artery of guinea pigs

AIM

The influence of niflumic acid (NFA), a Cl(-)channel antagonist, on the membrane potentials in smooth muscle cells (SMC) of the cochlear spiral modiolar artery (SMA) in guinea pigs was examined.

METHODS

The intracellular recording and whole-cell recording technique were used to record the NFA-induced response on the acutely-isolated SMA preparation.

RESULTS

The SMC had 2 stable but mutually convertible levels of resting potentials (RP), that is, one was near -45 mV and the other was approximately -75 mV, termed as low and high RP, respectively. The bath application of NFA could cause a hyperpolarization in all the low RP cells, but had little effect on high RP cells. The induced responses were concentration-dependent. Large concentrations of NFA (>or=100 micromol/L) often induced a shift of a low RP to high RP in cells with an initial RP at low level, and NFA (up to 100 micromol/L) had little effect on the membrane potentials of the high RP cells. However, when the high RP cells were depolarized to a level beyond -45 mV by barium and ouabain, NFA hyperpolarized these cells with the similar effect on those cells initially being the low RP. The NFA-induced response was almost completely blocked by charybdotoxin, iberiotoxin, tetraethylammonium, 1,2-bis(2- aminophenoxy) ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid tetrakis acetoxymethyl ester, but not by 4-aminopyridine, barium, glipizide, apamin, ouabain, and CdCl2.

CONCLUSION

NFA induces a concentration-dependent reversible hyperpolarization in SMC in the cochlear SMA via activation of the Ca2+-activated potassium channels.

ACh-induced depolarization in inner ear artery is generated by activation of a TRP-like non-selective cation conductance and inactivation of a potassium conductance

Adequate cochlear blood supply by the spiral modiolar artery (SMA) is critical for normal hearing. ACh may play a role in neuroregulation of the SMA but several key issues including its membrane action mechanisms remain poorly understood. Besides its well-known endothelium-dependent hyperpolarizing action, ACh can induce a depolarization in vascular cells. Using intracellular and whole-cell recording techniques on cells in guinea pig in vitro SMA, we studied the ionic mechanism underlying the ACh-depolarization and found that: (1) ACh induced a DAMP-sensitive depolarization when intermediate conductance KCa channels were blocked by charybdotoxin or nitrendipine. The ACh-depolarization was associated with a decrease in input resistance (R(input)) in high membrane potential (V(m)) ( approximately -40 mV) cells but with no change or an increase in R input in low Vm ( approximately -75 mV) cells. ACh-depolarization was attenuated by background membrane depolarization from approximately -70 mV in the majority of cells; (2) ACh-induced inward current in smooth muscle cells embedded in a SMA segment often showed a U-shaped I/V curve, the reversal potential of its two arms being near EK and 0 mV, respectively; (3) ACh-depolarization was reduced by low Na+, zero K+ or 20mM K+ bath solutions; (4) ACh-depolarization was inhibited by La3+ in all cells tested, by 4-AP and flufenamic acid in low Vm cells, but was not sensitive to Cd2+, Ni2+, nifedipine, niflumic acid, DIDS, IAA94, linopirdine or amiloride. We conclude that ACh-induced vascular depolarization was generated mainly by activation of a TRP-like non-selective cation channel and by inactivation of an inward rectifier K+ channel.

Dihydropyridines inhibit acetylcholine-induced hyperpolarization in cochlear artery via blockade of intermediate-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels

Acetylcholine (ACh) induces hyperpolarization and dilation in a variety of blood vessels, including the cochlear spiral modiolar artery (SMA) via the endothelium-derived hyperpolarization factor (EDHF). We demonstrated previously that the ACh-induced hyperpolarization in the SMA originated in the endothelial cells (ECs) by activating a Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channel (K(Ca)); the hyperpolarization in smooth muscle cells was mainly an electrotonic spread via gap junction coupling. In the present study, using intracellular recording, immunohistology, and vascular diameter tracking techniques on in vitro SMA preparations, we found that 1) ACh-induced hyperpolarization was suppressed by intermediate-conductance K(Ca) (IK) blockers clotrimazole (IC(50) = 116 nM) and nitrendipine and by the calmodulin antagonist trifluoperazine, but it was not suppressed by the big-conductance K(Ca) blocker iberiotoxin. The immunoreactivity to anti-SK4/IK1 antibody was localized mainly in ECs. 2) The three dihydropyridines--nifedipine, nitrendipine, and nimodipine--all concentration-dependently inhibited the ACh-induced hyperpolarization, with an IC(50) value of 455, 34, and 3.2 nM, respectively. 3) Among other L-type Ca(2+) channel (I(L)) blockers, 10 microM verapamil exerted a 20% inhibition on ACh-induced hyperpolarization, whereas diltiazem and the metal ion Ca(2+) channel blockers Cd(2+) and Ni(2+) had no effect. 4) Nitrendipine and charybdotoxin abolished ACh-induced dilation in the SMA. We conclude that ACh-induced hyperpolarization in the SMA is generated mainly by activation of the IK in the ECs, and dihydropyridines suppress the EDHF-mediated hyperpolarization by blocking the IK channel, not the I(L) channel. The clinical relevance of this dihydropyridine action is discussed.

Electrical coupling and release of K+ from endothelial cells co-mediate ACh-induced smooth muscle hyperpolarization in guinea-pig inner ear artery

The physiological basis of ACh-elicited hyperpolarization in guinea-pig in vitro cochlear spiral modiolar artery (SMA) was investigated by intracellular recording combined with dye labelling of recorded cells and immunocytochemistry. We found the following. (1) The ACh-hyperpolarization was prominent only in cells that had a low resting potential (less negative than -60 mV). ACh-hyperpolarization was reversibly blocked by 4-DAMP, charybdotoxin or BAPTA-AM, but not by N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, glipizide, indomethacin or 17-octadecynoic acid. (2) Ba(2)(+) (100 microm) and ouabain (1 microm) each attenuated ACh-hyperpolarization by approximately 30% in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) but had only slight or no inhibition in endothelial cells (ECs). A combination of Ba(2)(+) and 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid near completely blocked the ACh-hyperpolarization in SMCs. (3) High K(+) (10 mm) induced a smaller hyperpolarization in ECs than in SMCs, with an amplitude ratio of 0.49 : 1. Ba(2)(+) blocked the K(+)-induced hyperpolarization by approximately 85% in both cell types, whereas ouabain inhibited K(+)-hyperpolarization differently in SMCs (19%) and ECs (35%) and increased input resistance. 18beta-Glycyrrhetinic acid blocked the high K(+)-hyperpolarization in ECs only. (4) Weak myoendothelial dye coupling was detected by confocal microscopy in cells recorded with a propidium iodide-containing electrode for longer than 30 min. A sparse plexus of choline acetyltransferase-immunoreactive (ChAT) fibres was observed around the SMA and its up-stream arteries. (5) Evoked excitatory junction potentials (EJP) were partially blocked by 4-DAMP in half of the cells tested. We conclude that ACh-induced hyperpolarization originates from ECs via activation of Ca(2)(+)-activated potassium channels, and is independent of the release of NO, cyclo-oxygenase or cytochrome P450 products. ACh-induced hyperpolarization in smooth muscle cells involves two mechanisms: (a) electrical spread of the hyperpolarization from the endothelium, and (b) activation of inward rectifier K(+) channels (K(ir)) and Na(+)-K(+) pump current by elevated interstitial K(+) released from the endothelial cells, these being responsible for about 60% and 40% of the hyperpolarization, respectively. The role ratio of K(ir) and pump current activation is at 8 : 1 or less.

Basal nitric oxide production contributes to membrane potential and vasotone regulation of guinea pig in vitro spiral modiolar artery

Nitric oxide (NO) is a potent vasodilating agent implicated in cochlear blood flow regulation. We recently demonstrated that exogenously applied NO donor DPTA-NONOate hyperpolarizes both endothelial and smooth muscle cells of in vitro spiral modiolar artery (SMA) via activation of ATP-sensitive K+ channels (K(ATP)). Also, NO was detected in the SMA cells by NO indicator dye in the in vitro basal condition. Using intracellular recording techniques, electrochemical NO-sensing measurement, and a vaso-diameter video tracking method, we investigated the basal release of NO from the in vitro SMA and its role in the vascular function. We found that (1) 300 microM L-NAME, a NO synthase inhibitor, and 3 microM glipizide caused a depolarization of approximately 4.5 and approximately 3.2 mV, respectively, in cells with a resting potential less negative than -60 mV; (2) NO sensor in the close vicinity of the SMA detected a NO concentration of approximately 50 nM that was suppressed by L-NAME and enhanced by L-arginine (1-1000 microM); (3) NO donor DPTA-NONOate (0.1-30 microM) applications produced about 8-245 nM of NO in the recording bath. These data indicate a NO concentration-hyperpolarization relation, with an EC50 of 22 nM. (4) Finally, L-NAME but not glipizide produced a 4.8% reduction in SMA diameter (approximately 50 microm) in the majority of SMAs, whereas NONOate (10 microM) always caused a dilation. Both the induced constriction and dilation were not significantly affected by 3 microM glipizide. We conclude that a significant amount of NO (> 50 nM) is tonically released from the in vitro SMA, which is above the EC50 for activation of K(ATP), and thus contributes to the membrane polarization. The basal release of NO also contributes to vasotone relaxation, but the K(ATP) activation appears to play little role in the relaxation of the in vitro SMA.

Nitric oxide induces hyperpolarization by opening ATP-sensitive K(+) channels in guinea pig spiral modiolar artery

Nitric oxide (NO) hyperpolarizes vascular smooth muscle cells and dilates blood vessels of various beds, but little is known on cochlear vasculatures. Using in vitro preparations of the spiral modiolar artery (SMA), intracellular electrical recording and labeling techniques, we found that the NO donor DPTA-NONOate (10 microM) caused a hyperpolarization of approximately 9 mV in all the cells that had a low resting potential (RP) level near -40 mV. The hyperpolarization amplitude was concentration-dependent, with a 50% effect concentration (EC(50)) of 1 microM. The responses occur in both smooth muscle and endothelial cells, neither of which was blocked by 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid. The induced hyperpolarization was completely blocked by glipizide, but not by charybdotoxin, apamin, barium, 4-aminopyridine or tetraethylammonium. The hyperpolarizing responses were imitated by pinacidil (EC(50)=30 microM). The pinacidil-induced response was also blocked by glipizide but not by the other K(+) channel blockers mentioned above. Both DPTA-NONOate and pinacidil had little membrane potential effect on cells that had a high RP level near -75 mV. However, when the high RP cells were depolarized to a level beyond -45 mV by barium, both DPTA-NONOate and pinacidil hyperpolarized these cells not differently from those that initially had a low RP. It is concluded that NO hyperpolarizes the SMA primarily by activating K(ATP) channels in both muscle and endothelial cells.

Two resting potential levels regulated by the inward-rectifier potassium channel in the guinea-pig spiral modiolar artery

1. Intracellular in vitro recordings were made from 771 cells from the spiral modiolar artery (SMA). The initial resting potentials (RPs) displayed a bimodal distribution that was well modelled as a mixture of two Gaussian distributions. About half of the cells had an average RP of -74 mV, and were termed high-RP cells, whereas the other half had an average RP around -41 mV, and were termed low-RP cells. Preparations that were incubated for longer than 24 h contained significantly more high-RP cells than those incubated for less than 8 h. 2. When labelled with the fluorescent dye propidium iodide, 68 and 36 cells were identified as smooth muscle cells (SMC) and endothelial cells (EC), respectively. The RP and input resistance were not significantly different between these two types of cell. Dye coupling was observed only in ECs. Dual cell recordings with 0.2-1.0 mm separation demonstrated the simultaneous existence of high- and low-RP cells and a heterogeneous low-strength electrical coupling. 3. The high-RP cells were depolarized by ACh and by high extracellular potassium concentration (high K(+)). The low-RP cells were usually hyperpolarized by moderately high K(+) (7.5-20 mM) and by ACh. The high K(+)-induced hyperpolarization was suppressed by barium (Ba(2+), 10-50 microM). The putative gap junction blocker 18 beta-glycyrrhetinic acid suppressed the ACh-induced responses in SMCs, but not in ECs. 4. Low-RP cells could rapidly shift the membrane potential to a permanent high-RP state spontaneously or, more often, after a brief application of hyperpolarizing agents including high K(+), ACh, nitric oxide and pinacidil. Once shifted to a high-RP state, the responses of these cells to high K(+) and ACh became similar to those of the original high-RP cells. 5. High-RP cells occasionally shifted their potentials to a low-RP state either spontaneously or after a brief application of 10-50 microM Ba(2+) or 100 microM ouabain. Once shifted to the low-RP state, the response of these cells to high K(+) and ACh became a hyperpolarization. The shift between high- and low-RP states was largely mimicked by wash-in and wash-out of low concentrations of Ba(2+). The shift often showed a regenerative process as a fast phase in its middle course. 6. It is concluded that the cochlear SMA in vitro is composed of poorly and heterogeneously coupled SMCs and ECs, simultaneously resting in one of two distinct states, one a high-RP state and the other a low-RP state. The two RP states are exchangeable mainly due to all-or-none-like conductance changes of the inward-rectifier K(+) channel.

Co-existence of tyrosine hydroxylase and calcitonin gene-related peptide in cochlear spiral modiolar artery of guinea pigs

The distribution of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) on the cochlear spiral modiolar artery (SMA) was investigated in the guinea pig. The SMA was dissected from the modiolus so that the entire length of the vessel and many of its branches could be observed. Immunohistochemical labeling and double immunofluorescence were employed to localize each compound and to determine whether the TH and CGRP co-exist in neurons of the SMA. Microscopic examination of whole vessel preparations revealed numerous TH- and CGRP-positive neural networks innervating the SMA and its branches. The labeled neurons showed distinct arborization, varicosities and overlap, and were of different diameters. Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy of double-labeled TH and CGRP neurons showed that a number of the TH- and CGRP-positive neurons were co-labeled. Thus, TH and CGRP partially co-exist within the neuronal innervation of SMA. These findings support a hypothesis that specific neuropeptide and adrenergic neurons regulate cochlear blood flow.