1989 Volume 158 Issue 1 Pages 47-56
TAKEUCHI, K., ABE, K., YASUJIMA, M., SATO, M., KANAZAWA, M. and YOSHINAGA, K. The Effect of Atrial Natriuretic Peptide on Cytosolic Free Calcium in Cultured Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells. Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1989, 158 (1), 47-56 - Effect of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) on cytosolic free calcium ([Ca2+]i) was studied in monolayers of cultured vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells loaded with a fluorescent calcium indicator, fura-2. Vasoconstrictive hormones, angiotensin II (AII) and Arg8-vasopressin (AVP) induced initial rapid rises in [Ca2+]i, followed by sustained elevation of [Ca2+]i. ANP (Atriopeptin III 10-8M) decreased both the resting level and the sustained elevation of [Ca2+] i induced by AII and AVP. ANP also decreased the rise in [Ca2+]i induced by high potassium (K+) depolarization. AVP-induced initial rapid rise in [Ca2+]i was not inhibited by ANP in the presence or absence of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor, isobutylmethylxanthine 0.1mM, which has been shown to fully enhance ANP-induced cyclic GMP accumulation. On the other hand, a calcium antagonist, nicardipine, inhibited the high K+-induced rise in [Ca2+]i, whereas it had no effect on not only initial but also sustained rises in [Ca2+]i induced by AVP or AII. These results suggest that ANP has an ability to decrease [Ca2+]i not through inhibition of voltage-sensitive calcium channels, and that neither ANP nor ANP-induced cyclic GMP may affect initial hormone-induced rise in [Ca2+]i. In conclusion, an ability to decrease [Ca2+]i is implicated in ANP-induced relaxation of VSM.