Effects of purinoceptor agonists on cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in swine tracheal smooth muscle cells in culture

Biphasic effect of extracellular ATP on human and rat airways is due to multiple P2 purinoceptor activation

Background

Extracellular ATP may modulate airway responsiveness. Studies on ATP-induced contraction and [Ca²⁺]_i signalling in airway smooth muscle are rather controversial and discrepancies exist regarding both ATP effects and signalling pathways. We compared the effect of extracellular ATP on rat trachea and extrapulmonary bronchi (EPB) and both human and rat intrapulmonary bronchi (IPB), and investigated the implicated signalling pathways.

Methods

Isometric contraction was measured on rat trachea, EPB and IPB isolated rings and human IPB isolated rings. [Ca²⁺]_i was monitored fluorimetrically using indo 1 in freshly isolated and cultured tracheal myocytes. Statistical comparisons were done with ANOVA or Student's t tests for quantitative variables and χ² tests for qualitative variables. Results were considered significant at P < 0.05.

Results

In rat airways, extracellular ATP (10^-6–10^-3 M) induced an epithelium-independent and concentration-dependent contraction, which amplitude increased from trachea to IPB. The response was transient and returned to baseline within minutes. Similar responses were obtained with the non-hydrolysable ATP analogous ATP-γ-S. Successive stimulations at 15 min-intervals decreased the contractile response. In human IPB, the contraction was similar to that of rat IPB but the time needed for the return to baseline was longer. In isolated myocytes, ATP induced a concentration-dependent [Ca²⁺]_i response. The contractile response was not reduced by thapsigargin and RB2, a P2Y receptor inhibitor, except in rat and human IPB. By contrast, removal of external Ca²⁺, external Na⁺ and treatment with D600 decreased the ATP-induced response. The contraction induced by α-β-methylene ATP, a P2X agonist, was similar to that induced by ATP, except in IPB where it was lower. Indomethacin and H-89, a PKA inhibitor, delayed the return to baseline in extrapulmonary airways.

Conclusion

Extracellular ATP induces a transient contractile response in human and rat airways, mainly due to P2X receptors and extracellular Ca²⁺ influx in addition with, in IPB, P2Y receptors stimulation and Ca²⁺ release from intracellular Ca²⁺ stores. Extracellular Ca²⁺ influx occurs through L-type voltage-dependent channels activated by external Na⁺ entrance through P2X receptors. The transience of the response cannot be attributed to ATP degradation but to purinoceptor desensitization and, in extrapulmonary airways, prostaglandin-dependent PKA activation.

Nonselective cationic currents activated by acetylcholine in swine tracheal smooth muscle cells

Membrane currents in isolated swine tracheal smooth muscle cells were investigated using a pipette solution containing BAPTA-Ca2+ buffer and Cs+ as the major cation. With a pipette solution containing 100 nM free Ca2+, acetylcholine (ACh; 1-100 µM), in a concentration-dependent manner, activated a current without inducing shortening of cells, although neither 1 mM histamine nor 1 µM leukotriene D4 activated the current (n = 7, n is the number of cells). The effect of 100 µM ACh was suppressed by pretreatment with 100 µM atropine (n = 6) or intracellular application of preactivated pertussis toxin at a concentration of 0.1 µg·mL-1 (n = 8). Genistein (0.1-100 µM), in a concentration-dependent manner, suppressed the activation of the inward current by 100 µM ACh, whereas it did not significantly suppress that of the outward current (n = 6-8). With a pipette solution containing 50 nM free Ca2+, outward current, but not inward current, was activated by 100 µM ACh (n = 10). When the pipette solution had free Ca2+ concentrations greater than 50 nM, the inward current together with the outward current was activated. The ratio between the amplitude of the inward and outward currents was significantly increased as the free Ca2+ concentration in the pipette solution increased. The steady-state activation curve of the ACh-activated current with the 50 nM free Ca2+ pipette solution was fitted by a single Boltzmann distribution (Vh = +69.8 mV, k = -11.9 mV, n = 10). The activation time constant became smaller as the membrane potential was more depolarized (164.3 ± 5.9 ms at +40 mV to 92.4 ± 6.3 ms at +120 mV, n = 10). The reversal potential was not significantly changed by reducing extracellular Cl- concentration to one-tenth of the control (n = 8), suggesting that the current is a nonselective cationic current. These results suggest that ACh activates an outward nonselective cationic current via pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein(s) coupled with muscarinic receptors. Involvement of genistein-sensitive tyrosine kinase in the activation process of the current is unlikely.Key words: tracheal smooth muscle, nonselective cationic current, acetylcholine, Ca2+ dependency, genistein sensitivity.

The signalling pathway which causes contraction via P2-purinoceptors in rat urinary bladder smooth muscle

1. The signalling pathway which causes contractions to adenosine 5'-O-2-thiodiphosphate (ADPbetaS) and alpha,beta-methylene adenosine 5'-diphosphate (alpha,beta-Me ADP) was investigated in rat urinary bladder smooth muscle by measuring isotonic tension. 2. The responses to 10 microM alpha,beta-methylene adenosine 5'-triphosphate (alpha,beta-Me ATP) in 0 and 3.6 mM Ca2+ were 5.9+/-1.3 (n=10) and 122.2+/-6.4 (n=8) % respectively of those obtained in 1.8 mM Ca2+, whereas those to 100 microM ADPbetaS were 34.6+/-3.3 (n=8) and 96.8+/-7.2 (n = 8) %, in 0 and 3.6 mM Ca2+, respectively. In both experimental conditions, the responses to the two agonists expressed as % of the control responses were significantly different (P<0.01). 3. Indomethacin at high concentrations (>1 microM) decreased the responses to alpha,beta-Me ATP (10 microM), ADPbetaS (100 microM) and alpha,beta-Me ADP (100 microM). However, no significant difference was obtained between the responses to all the agonists at 30 microM indomethacin. 4. 2-Nitro-4-carboxphenyl n,n-diphenylcarbamate (NCDC) at concentrations between 1 microM and 100 microM concentration-dependently decreased the responses to ADPbetaS (100 microM) and alpha,beta-Me ADP (100 microM) and almost completely inhibited them at 100 microM. Although the responses to alpha,beta-Me ATP (10 microM) were also inhibited by the drug, at 50 and 100 microM NCDC the responses to alpha,beta-Me ATP were significantly larger than those to ADPbetaS and alpha,beta-Me ADP (P<0.01). 5.NCDC 100 microM significantly inhibited the KCl-induced contraction to 65.9+/-4.9% (n=6) of the control (P<0.01). 6. It is suggested that the contraction via ADPbetaS-sensitive receptors in the rat urinary bladder smooth muscle mainly depends on Ca2+ ions liberated from intracellular Ca2+ stores, though the contribution of Ca2+ ions from the extracellular space cannot be neglected. The release of Ca2+ ions from stores is mainly mediated by the production of inositol trisphosphate (IP3) via the activation of phospholipase C.