Differential activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase by endothelin and ceramide in colonic smooth muscle cells

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase modulates vascular smooth muscle contraction by calcium and myosin light chain phosphorylation-independent and -dependent pathways

Regulation of smooth muscle contraction involves a number of signaling mechanisms that include both kinase and phosphatase reactions. The goal of the present study was to determine the role of one such kinase, phosphatidylinositol (PI)3-kinase, in vascular smooth muscle excitation-contraction coupling. Using intact medial strips of the swine carotid artery, we found that inhibition of PI3-kinase by LY-294002 resulted in a concentration-dependent decrease in the contractile response to both agonist stimulation and membrane depolarization-dependent contractions and a decrease in Ca(2+)-dependent myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation, the primary step in the initiation of smooth muscle contraction. Inhibition of PI3-kinase also depressed phorbol dibutyrate-induced contractions, which are not dependent on either Ca(2+) or MLC phosphorylation but are dependent on protein kinase C. To determine the Ca(2+)-dependent site of action of PI3-kinase, we determined the effect of several inhibitors of calcium metabolism on LY-294002-dependent inhibition of contraction. These inhibitors included nifedipine, SK&F-96365, and caffeine. Only SK&F-96365 blocked the LY-294002-dependent inhibition of contraction. Interestingly, all compounds blocked the LY-294002-dependent inhibition of MLC phosphorylation. Our results suggest that activation of PI3-kinase is involved in a Ca(2+)- and MLC phosphorylation-independent pathway for contraction likely to involve protein kinase C. In addition, our results also suggest that activation of PI3-kinase is involved in Ca(2+)-dependent signaling at the level of receptor-operated calcium channels.

Aging and neural control of the GI tract: V. Aging and gastrointestinal smooth muscle: from signal transduction to contractile proteins

The object of this theme is to offer new perspectives on the effect of aging on signal-transduction pathways associated with agonist-induced contraction of smooth muscle cells from the colon. Smooth muscle cells from old rats (32 mo old) exhibit limited cell length distribution and diminished contractility. The observed reduced contractile response may be due to the effect of aging on signal-transduction pathways, especially an inhibition of the tyrosine kinase-Src kinase pathway, a reduced activation of the PKC pathway, and a reduced association of contractile proteins [heat shock protein 27 (HSP27)-tropomyosin, HSP27-actin, actin-myosin]. Levels of HSP27 phosphorylation are also reduced compared with adult rats.

Mechanism of enhanced calcium sensitivity and alpha 2-AR vasoreactivity in chronic NOS inhibition hypertension

PKC augments calcium sensitivity in spontaneously hypertensive rats and contributes to alpha(2)-adrenergic receptor (AR) contraction in rabbit saphenous vein. We showed previously that denuded aortic rings from N(omega)-nitro-l-arginine-treated hypertensive rats (LHR) contract more to CaCl(2) and to the alpha(2)-AR agonist UK-14304 than do rings from normotensive rats (NR). We hypothesized that enhanced PKC activity or a change in PKC isoform contributes to augmented calcium sensitivity and enhanced alpha(2)-AR contraction in LHR aorta. Current studies demonstrate that non-isoform-specific PKC inhibitors reduced UK-14304 contraction in both NR and LHR aorta. However, the calcium-dependent PKC inhibitor Gö-6976 only attenuated contraction in LHR aorta. Additionally, UK-14304 translocated PKC-delta to the membrane in NR aorta, whereas PKC-alpha was translocated to the membrane in LHR aorta. Finally, in ionomycin-permeabilized aorta Gö-6976 eliminated enhanced basal and augmented alpha(2)-AR-stimulated calcium sensitivity in LHR aorta but did not affect NR contraction. Together, these data suggest that PKC-alpha contributes to augmented calcium sensitivity and alpha(2)-AR reactivity after chronic nitric oxide synthase inhibition hypertension.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha induces stress fiber formation through ceramide production: role of sphingosine kinase

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a proinflammatory cytokine that activates several signaling cascades. We determined the extent to which ceramide is a second messenger for TNF-alpha-induced signaling leading to cytoskeletal rearrangement in Rat2 fibroblasts. TNF-alpha, sphingomyelinase, or C(2)-ceramide induced tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and paxillin, and stress fiber formation. Ly 294002, a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-K) inhibitor, or expression of dominant/negative Ras (N17) completely blocked C(2)-ceramide- and sphingomyelinase-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of FAK and paxillin and severely decreased stress fiber formation. The TNF-alpha effects were only partially inhibited. Dimethylsphingosine, a sphingosine kinase (SK) inhibitor, blocked stress fiber formation by TNF-alpha and C(2)-ceramide. TNF-alpha, sphingomyelinase, and C(2)-ceramide translocated Cdc42, Rac, and RhoA to membranes, and stimulated p21-activated protein kinase downstream of Ras-GTP, PI 3-K, and SK. Transfection with inactive RhoA inhibited the TNF-alpha- and C(2)-ceramide-induced stress fiber formation. Our results demonstrate that stimulation by TNF-alpha, which increases sphingomyelinase activity and ceramide formation, activates sphingosine kinase, Rho family GTPases, focal adhesion kinase, and paxillin. This novel pathway of ceramide signaling can account for approximately 70% of TNF-alpha-induced stress fiber formation and cytoskeletal reorganization.