Open AccessEndothelin-1 Inhibits Nitric Oxide Synthesis in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells
Author(s) -
Uichi Ikeda,
Keiji Yamamoto,
Yoshikazu Maeda,
Masahisa Shimpo,
Toshiko Kanbe,
Kazuyuki Shimada
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
hypertension
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.986
H-Index - 265
eISSN - 1524-4563
pISSN - 0194-911X
DOI - 10.1161/01.hyp.29.1.65
Subject(s) - nitric oxide , vascular smooth muscle , endothelin receptor , endothelin 1 , nitric oxide synthase , medicine , endocrinology , protein kinase c , nitrite , receptor antagonist , endothelin receptor antagonist , receptor , biology , chemistry , antagonist , signal transduction , biochemistry , smooth muscle , ecology , nitrate
We investigated the effects of endothelin-1 on nitric oxide synthesis in vascular smooth muscle cells. We measured the production of nitrite, a stable metabolite of nitric oxide, and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA and protein in cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells. Incubation of the cultures with interleukin-1β (10 ng/mL) for 24 hours caused a significant increase in nitrite production. Endothelin-1 significantly decreased the interleukin-1β–induced nitrite production by vascular smooth muscle cells in a dose-dependent manner (10−11 to 10−8 mol/L). Incubation with interleukin-1β for 24 hours induced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA and protein in vascular smooth muscle cells, whereas endothelin-1 showed a suppressive effect on their expressions. Addition of the endothelin type A receptor antagonist BQ-485, but not the endothelin type B receptor antagonist BQ-788, dose-dependently inhibited the effect of endothelin-1. After protein kinase C activity was functionally depleted by treatment of cells with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate for 24 hours, the effect of endothelin-1 was abolished. These results indicate that endothelin-1 acts on endothelin type A receptors and inhibits nitric oxide synthesis in interleukin-1β–stimulated vascular smooth muscle cells at least partially through a protein kinase C–dependent pathway.