Effect of protein kinase C and calcium on bradykinin-mediated contractions of rabbit vessels.

Bradykinin caused graded contractions of rings of rabbit aorta and jugular vein with EC50 values of 1.3 microM and 2.2 nM. In denuded preparations, responses of bradykinin in jugular vein but not in aorta were potentiated 1,000-fold. Both preparations bathed in calcium-free solution showed markedly depressed responses to bradykinin, but addition of 1 mM EGTA further inhibited bradykinin responses only in aorta. Time-course experiments carried out in calcium-free solution plus EGTA revealed that bradykinin contractions in rabbit aorta were very sensitive to extracellular calcium, whereas responses of the jugular vein depended on both extracellular and intracellular calcium sources. Responses to bradykinin in both tissues were unaffected by nicardipine (1 microM) but were partially antagonized by NiCl2 (0.1-0.3 mM). Ryanodine (30 microM) incubated in calcium-free medium markedly inhibited jugular vein responses to bradykinin but had no effect on aortic responses. Phorbol ester (1 microM) caused a slow tonic contraction in jugular vein but not in aorta and inhibited bradykinin responses in the former preparation. Staurosporine (1-100 nM) and 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperizine (H-7, 3 and 10 microM) caused a dose-dependent inhibition of bradykinin-induced contractions in jugular vein but were less effective in aorta.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)