Role of calcium in endothelium-dependent relaxation of arterial smooth muscle.

Endothelium-dependent relaxation was studied in rings of rabbit thoracic aorta. Relaxation responses were induced with methacholine, the calcium ionophore A23187 and maitotoxin before and after removal of Ca++ from the external medium; in the presence of calcium-channel entry blockers (verapamil and nifedipine); or with trifluoperazine. Deletion of Ca++ greatly impaired responses to all 3 agonists while trifluoperazine only blocked cholinergic-induced relaxation. The calcium-channel blockers had effects that were concentration- and time-dependent, but their action included blockade of A23187. Cytosolic-free Ca++ concentrations were measured in cultured endothelial cells after incubation of the cells with 10 microM Fura-2/AM or 50 microM Quin 2/AM. Bradykinin (1 X 10(-10) to 1 X 10(-7) M) and melittin (0.5 to 5 micrograms/ml) caused dose-dependent increases in intracellular Ca++ with maximal responses at 3 X 10(-8) M and 3 micrograms/ml, respectively. Both agents were able to induce an increase in cytosolic-free Ca++ in the presence of EGTA (1.5 X 10(-3) M) or verapamil (1 X 10(-5) M). The plateau phase of the Ca++ transient appeared to be modified slightly by verapamil, while the peak responses and plateau were attenuated by '0' Ca++/EGTA. To assess a function of the endothelium, production of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) was studied in cells grown on microcarrier beads superfused in a column, and the column effluent was bioassayed on aortic rings.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)