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Differential effect of calcium-activated potassium and chloride channels on rat basilar artery vasomotion

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Summary

Spontaneous, rhythmical contractions, or vasomotion, can be recorded from cerebral vessels under both normal physiological and pathophysiological conditions. We investigated the cellular mechanisms underlying vasomotion in the cerebral basilar artery (BA) of Wistar rats. Pressure myograph video microscopy was used to study the changes in cerebral artery vessel diameter. The main results of this study were as follows: (1) The diameters of BA and middle cerebral artery (MCA) were 314.5±15.7 μm (n=15) and 233.3±10.1 μm (n=12) at 10 mmHg working pressure (P<0.05), respectively. Pressure-induced vasomotion occurred in BA (22/28, 78.6%), but not in MCA (4/31, 12.9%) from 0 to 70 mmHg working pressure. As is typical for vasomotion, the contractile phase of the response was more rapid than the relaxation phase; (2) The frequency of vasomotion response and the diameter were gradually increased in BA from 0 to 70 mmHg working pressure. The amplitude of the rhythmic contractions was relatively constant once stable conditions were achieved. The frequency of contractions was variable and the highest value was 16.7±4.7 (n=13) per 10 min at 60 mmHg working pressure; (3) The pressure-induced vasomotion of the isolated BA was attenuated by nifedipine, NFA, 18β-GA, TEA or in Ca2+-free medium. Nifedipine, NFA, 18β-GA or Ca2+-free medium not only dampened vasomotion, but also kept BA in relaxation state. In contrasts, TEA kept BA in contraction state. These results suggest that the pressure-induced vasomotion of the isolated BA results from an interaction between Ca2+-activated Cl− channels (CaCCs) currents and KCa currents. We hypothesize that vasomotion of BA depends on the depolarizing of the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) to activate CaCCs. Depolarization in turn activates voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels, synchronizing contractions of adjacent cells through influx of extracellular calcium and the flow of calcium through gap junctions. Subsequent calcium-induced calcium release from ryanodine-sensitive stores activates KCa channels and hyperpolarizes VSMCs, which provides a negative feedback loop for regenerating the contractile cycle.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Medical College of Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832002, China

    Li Li  (李 丽), Rui Wang  (王 蕊), Ke-tao Ma  (马克涛), Xin-zhi Li  (李新芝), Chuan-lin Zhang  (张传林), Wei-Dong Liu  (刘卫东), Lei Zhao  (赵 磊) & Jun-qiang Si  (司军强)

  2. The Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Medical College of Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832002, China

    Li Li  (李 丽), Ke-tao Ma  (马克涛), Xin-zhi Li  (李新芝), Lei Zhao  (赵 磊) & Jun-qiang Si  (司军强)

  3. Department of Neurobiology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China

    Xin-zhi Li  (李新芝) & Jun-qiang Si  (司军强)

  4. Department of Physiology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan, 430070, China

    Jun-qiang Si  (司军强)

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  1. Li Li  (李 丽)
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Correspondence to Jun-qiang Si  (司军强).

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The authors contributed equally to this work.

This project was supported by grants from National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2012CB52660000), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81000411, No. 31100829, and No. 31260247).

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Li, L., Wang, R., Ma, Kt. et al. Differential effect of calcium-activated potassium and chloride channels on rat basilar artery vasomotion. J. Huazhong Univ. Sci. Technol. [Med. Sci.] 34, 482–490 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-014-1303-3

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