Involvement of protein kinase C, tyrosine kinases, and Rho kinase in Ca(2+) handling of human small arteries.

The mechanisms of Ca(2+) handling and sensitization were investigated in human small omental arteries exposed to norepinephrine (NE) and to the thromboxane A(2) analog U-46619. Contractions elicited by NE and U-46619 were associated with an increase in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)), an increase in Ca(2+)-independent signaling pathways, or an enhancement of the sensitivity of the myofilaments to Ca(2+). The two latter pathways were abolished by protein kinase C (PKC), tyrosine kinase (TK), and Rho-associated protein kinase (ROK) inhibitors. In Ca(2+)-free medium, both NE and U-46619 elicited an increase in tension that was greatly reduced by PKC inhibitors and abolished by caffeine or ryanodine. After depletion of Ca(2+) stores with NE and U-46619 in Ca(2+)-free medium, addition of CaCl(2) in the continuous presence of the agonists produced increases in [Ca(2+)](i) and contractions that were inhibited by nitrendipine and TK inhibitors but not affected by PKC inhibitors. NE and U-46619 induced tyrosine phosphorylation of a 42- or a 58-kDa protein, respectively. These results indicate that the mechanisms leading to contraction elicited by NE and U-46619 in human small omental arteries are composed of Ca(2+) release from ryanodine-sensitive stores, Ca(2+) influx through nitrendipine-sensitive channels, and Ca(2+) sensitization and/or Ca(2+)-independent pathways. They also show that the TK pathway is involved in the tonic contraction associated with Ca(2+) entry, whereas TK, PKC, and ROK mechanisms regulate Ca(2+)-independent signaling pathways or Ca(2+) sensitization.

Cyclic nucleotide hydrolysis in bovine aortic endothelial cells in culture: differential regulation in cobblestone and spindle phenotypes.

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) were investigated in cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells having two phenotypes, cobblestone and spindle, representing, respectively, the resting and angiogenic phenotypes in vivo. Spindle cell homogenates displayed higher hydrolytic activities towards cAMP (52%) and cGMP (10-fold). These increases were due to: (1) increased number of spindle PDE isozymes in the cytosolic fraction (for cAMP: PDE1, PDE2, PDE3 and PDE4 compared to PDE2 and PDE4 in cobblestone; for cGMP: PDE2 and PDE5 compared to PDE2 in cobblestone); (2) increased spindle-specific activities of cytosolic and particulate PDE2, cytosolic PDE3 and particulate PDE4. These changes were associated with an increase in spindle transcripts: 7.5 kb PDE3A (6-fold) and 7.0 kb PDE4D (3-fold). Moreover, cAMP hydrolysis in the two phenotypes was differently regulated by 5 microM cGMP: 60% increase in total cAMP-PDE activity in cobblestone homogenate related to PDE2 stimulation; 30% decrease in spindle homogenate related to PDE3 inhibition. This underlines the roles played by PDE2, PDE3 and PDE5 in the cross-talk involving the two cyclic nucleotides. These changes in PDE isozyme expression along with the cross-talk between cAMP and cGMP may well modulate NO production and consequently might participate in angiogenesis, making PDEs potential targets to modulate angiogenesis.

Evidence for the presence of several phosphodiesterase isoforms in brown adipose tissue of Zucker rats: modulation of PDE2 by the fa gene expression.

The present study was undertaken to characterise the phosphodiesterases (PDEs) present in brown adipose tissue (BAT) of Zucker rat pups and to determine whether the capacity for degradation of cyclic nucleotides was affected by the fatty genotype. Regardless of the genotype, PDE2-4 contributed to total PDE activity, the PDE3 activity equalling the sum of PDE2 and 4 activities. In fa/fa compared to Fa/fa rats, (a) PDE2 activity was significantly increased, (b) Western blot analysis of PDE2 revealed two signals at 71 and 105 kDa, with changes in protein being in good parallelism with changes in activity, (c) the PDE2 mRNA concentration was also significantly increased. In good agreement, the cGMP concentration was decreased in BAT from fa/fa pups.

Expression and characterization of deletion recombinants of two cGMP-inhibited cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDE-3).

cDNAs encoding two PDE-3 or cyclic GMP-inhibited (cGI) cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) isoforms, RPDE-3B (RcGIP1) and HPDE-3A (HcGIP2), were cloned from rat (R) adipose tissue and human (H) heart cDNA libraries. Deletion and N- and C-terminal truncation mutants were expressed in Escherichia coli in order to define their catalytic core. Active mutants of both RPDE-3B and HPDE-3A included the domain conserved among all PDEs plus additional upstream and downstream sequences. An RPDE-3B mutant consisting of the conserved domain alone and one from which the RPDE-3B 44-amino acid insertion was deleted exhibited little or no activity. All active recombinants exhibited a high affinity (< 1 microM) for cyclic AMP (cAMP) and cyclic GMP (cGMP), were inhibited by cAMP, cGMP, and cilostamide, but not by rolipram, and were photolabeled with [32P]-cGMP. The IC50 values for cGMP inhibition of cAMP hydrolysis were lower for HPDE-3A than for RPDE-3B recombinants. The deduced amino acid sequences of HPDE-3A and RPDE-3B catalytic domains are very similar except for the 44-amino acid insertion not found in other PDEs. It is possible that this insertion may not only distinguish PDE-3 catalytic domains from other PDEs and identify catalytic domains of PDE-3 subfamilies or conserved members of the PDE-3 gene family, but may also be involved in the regulation of sensitivity of PDE-3s to cGMP.

Expression and activity of low Km, cGMP-inhibited cAMP phosphodiesterase in cardiac and skeletal muscle.

The expression and activity of low Km, cGMP-inhibited cAMP phosphodiesterase (PDE3)4 were examined in rabbit and canine cardiac and skeletal muscle. In cardiac muscle, a cDNA probe whose sequence encompasses the catalytic domain of human myocardial PDE3 (PDE3A) hybridized predominantly with a 7.2-7.4 kb mRNA. No hybridization was observed in preparations from slow or fast twitch skeletal muscle. Likewise, PDE3 activity was present in cytosolic and microsomal fractions of cardiac muscle but was absent from cytosolic and microsomal fractions of slow twitch and fast twitch skeletal muscle. These results, which demonstrate the absence of PDE3 from slow and fast twitch mammalian skeletal muscle, further delineate the differences in beta-adrenergic receptor-mediated signal transduction pathways in cardiac and skeletal muscle.

Modulation of vascular cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases by cyclic GMP: role in vasodilatation.

Vascular smooth muscle contraction is modulated by an increase in cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cyclic GMP) subsequent to nitric oxide production by endothelial cells. The participation in this vasodilatation of specific cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cyclic AMP) phosphodiesterase (PDE) forms differentially sensitive to cyclic GMP is unclear. Chromatographic separation and pharmacological characterization show that the specific cyclic AMP PDE of endothelial cells is of the PDE IV subtype, known to be insensitive to cyclic GMP, whereas cyclic AMP PDEs of vascular smooth muscle are both cyclic GMP-sensitive and -insensitive (subtypes PDE III and PDE IV, respectively). The role of these PDE forms in the modulation of vascular contraction was investigated in rat aorta with and without endothelium by using specific inhibitors of PDE III and PDE IV as relaxing agents. PDE III inhibitors (milrinone, CI 930, SK&F 94120 and LY 195115) similarly relax rat aorta with and without endothelium and their potencies are not modified by NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA, 300 microM) or L-arginine (1 mM). However, PDE IV inhibitors (rolipram and denbufylline) only induce relaxation of aorta with endothelium, this relaxation being reversed by addition of L-NMMA and restored by addition of L-arginine. Relaxation studies performed with PDE IV inhibitors in the presence of low concentration of agents that increase cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP, clearly show that PDE IV inhibitor potencies are markedly increased by cyclic GMP elevating agents, by PDE III inhibitors and by the presence of functional endothelium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Endothelium-dependent and independent relaxation of the rat aorta by cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase inhibitors.

1. The effects of selective inhibitors of adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) and guanosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic GMP) phosphodiesterases (PDEs) were investigated on PDEs isolated from the rat aorta and on relaxation of noradrenaline (1 microM) precontracted rat aortic rings, with and without functional endothelium. 2. Four PDE forms were isolated by DEAE-sephacel chromatography from endothelium-denuded rat aorta: a calmodulin-activated PDE (PDE I) which hydrolyzed preferentially cyclic GMP, two cyclic AMP PDEs (PDE III and PDE IV) and one cyclic GMP-specific PDE (PDE V). The latter was selectively and potently inhibited by zaprinast. The two cyclic AMP PDEs were discriminated by specific inhibitors: one was inhibited by cyclic GMP (PDE III) and by new cardiotonic agents (milrinone, CI 930, LY 195115 and SK&F 94120); the other was inhibited by denbufylline and rolipram (PDE IV). None of these drugs significantly inhibited PDE I. 3. The PDE III inhibitors caused endothelium-independent relaxations of rat aortic rings with the following EC50 values (microM concentration producing 50% relaxation): LY 195115: 3.4, milrinone: 5.7, CI 930; 7.8, SK&F 94120: 14.7. Neither NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA, 300 microM), an inhibitor of the L-arginine-NO pathway, nor L-arginine (1 mM) modified the effect of PDE III inhibitors. However, methylene blue (10 microM) an inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase abolished relaxation induced by PDE III inhibitors except in the case of compound CI 930. 4. The specific PDE IV and PDE V inhibitors both produced endothelium-dependent relaxations which were inhibited by L-NMMA and by methylene blue (10 microM). In the presence of L-NMMA, relaxation was restored by subsequent addition of L-arginine. 5. The relaxant effects of denbufylline and rolipram were studied in the presence of drugs stimulating either adenylate cyclase (forskolin and isoprenaline) or soluble guanylate cyclase (sodium nitroprusside, SNP), or inhibiting PDE III (milrinone). In endothelium-denuded rings, a relaxing effect of both denbufylline and rolipram was found in the presence of milrinone (EC5o values 1.7 and 12 microM, respectively) or SNP (EC50 values 12.3 and 124 microM, respectively), but not in the presence of forskolin or isoprenaline. However in the presence of functional endothelium, relaxations produced by PDE IV inhibitors were significantly potentiated by forskolin, isoprenaline, milrinone and SNP (respective EC50 values for denbufylline: 2, 2, 0.4 and 0.7 microM and for rolipram: 7, 13, 7 and 1.2 microM). 6. These results indicate that the relaxant effects of inhibitors of the cyclic AMP-specific PDE IV are markedly enhanced by cyclic GMP elevating agents and by the PDE III inhibitor milrinone. They support the hypothesis that cyclic GMP enhances cyclic AMP-mediated relaxation, possibly through the inhibition of the cyclic GMP-inhibited PDE III.

Characterisation of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases from rat mesenteric artery.

Four cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activities (PDEs) could be resolved from rat mesenteric artery by DEAE-Sephacel chromatography: a calmodulin-activated fraction, a cyclic GMP-inhibited fraction, a cyclic AMP-specific rolipram-sensitive fraction and a cyclic GMP-specific fraction containing PDE I, III, IV and V. Cardiotonic drugs (CI 930 and LY 195115) selectively inhibited PDE III; rolipram and zaprinast selectively inhibited PDE IV and PDE V, respectively. These results show that the rat mesenteric artery contains the same PDEs as previously found in the aorta, and suggest that these PDEs may be implicated in the regulation of arterial contraction.

Cardiac cGMP-stimulated cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases: effects of cGMP analogues and drugs.

The effects of cGMP analogues and phosphodiesterase inhibitors were investigated on cAMP and cGMP hydrolysis by cGMP-stimulated phosphodiesterase (cGS-PDE), isolated from a canine heart sinoatrial node-enriched preparation and from the left ventricle. There was no significant difference between the effects of drugs and cGMP analogues on cGS-PDE from the cardiac ventricle and from the sinoatrial node, suggesting that cGS-PDE has similar characteristics in the two tissues, cGMP itself, 8-bromo-cGMP and 2'-deoxy-cGMP had dual effects: at low concentrations, cAMP hydrolysis was stimulated (maximal effect at 10 microM, 100 microM and 100 microM respectively), while at higher concentrations these compounds inhibited cAMP hydrolysis. Monobutyryl-cGMP and dibutyryl-cGMP had only an inhibitory effect on cAMP hydrolysis. Inhibitors of cAMP- or cGMP-selective PDEs, including the cardiotonic drugs rolipram and zaprinast, were not effective inhibitors of cGS-PDE. Cilostamide (a selective inhibitor of cGMP-inhibited PDE). IBMX (nonspecific inhibitor of PDEs) and dipyridamole inhibited basal cGS-PDE hydrolysis of cAMP and cGMP, and their apparent Ki for cAMP hydrolysis was decreased by 5 microM cGMP (from 30, 14 and 18 to 15.7 and 2.6 microM, respectively, for the ventricular enzyme).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Differential sensitivity to cardiotonic drugs of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterases isolated from canine ventricular and sinoatrial-enriched tissues.

A cardiac phosphodiesterase (PDE) which specifically hydrolyzes cAMP and is inhibited by cyclic GMP has been suggested to be the site of action of new cardiotonic drugs. To investigate the effect of inhibitors, canine cyclic nucleotide PDEs were isolated from left ventricle and from sinoatrial node-enriched tissue, using identical techniques. Four PDE forms could be chromatographically resolved from each tissue, including a peak I PDE (calmodulin-activated phosphodiesterase, CaM-PDE), a peak II PDE (cyclic GMP-stimulated phosphodiesterase, CGS-PDE) and a peak III PDE (specific for cyclic AMP). The latter was further fractionated into two forms: One was inhibited by cyclic GMP and by the platelet antiaggregant AAL 05 (CGI-PDE), and the second was insensitive to cyclic GMP and was inhibited by rolipram (ROI-PDE). Reference PDE inhibitors, isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) and papaverine, nonselectively inhibited the four forms isolated from the two tissues. Cardiotonic drugs (CI 930, LY 181512, piroximone, enoximone, and SK&F 94120) selectively inhibited CGI-PDE from ventricular tissue but were poorly active on both CGI-PDE and ROI-PDE from the sinoatrial-enriched fraction. In contrast, milrinone inhibited CGI-PDEs and ROI-PDEs from both ventricular and sinoatrial tissues. These results are in good agreement with pharmacologic data in the literature on the positive chronotropic and inotropic effects of the studied drugs in the dog. They provide a possible basis for the dissociation of these two properties of PDE inhibitors.