Resveratrol is an arginase inhibitor contributing to vascular smooth muscle cell vasoconstriction via increasing cytosolic calcium.

The contractility of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) controls the lumen diameter of vessels, thus serving a role in regulating blood pressure and organ blood flow. Although arginases are known to have numerous effects in the biological activities of VSMCs, the effects of arginase II on the constriction of VSMCs has not yet been investigated. When conducting a natural products screen for an inhibitor against arginase, the present study identified that a relatively high concentration of resveratrol (RSV) exhibited arginase inhibitory activity. Therefore, the present study investigated whether RSV could regulate VSMCs contractions and the underlying mechanism. Arginase inhibition by RSV led to an increase in the concentration of the substrate L‑Arg and an accompanying increase in the cytosol Ca2+ concentration [(Ca2+)c] in VSMCs. The increased [Ca2+]c induced by RSV and L‑Arg treatments resulted in CaMKII‑dependent MLC20 phosphorylation. The effects of RSV on VSMCs were maintained even when VSMCs were pre‑treated with sirtinol, an inhibitor of Sirt proteins. In a vascular tension assay with de‑endothelialized aortic vessels, vasoconstrictor responses, which were measured using phenylephrine (PE), were significantly enhanced in the RSV‑ and L‑Arg‑treated vessels. Therefore, although arginase inhibition has exhibited beneficial effects in various diseases, care is required when considering administration of an arginase inhibitor to patients with vessels endothelial dysfunction as RSV can induce vessel contraction.