Mechanism of non-capacitative Ca2+ influx in response to bradykinin in vascular endothelial cells.

Bradykinin is a potent vasoactive nonapeptide. It elicits a rise in cytosolic Ca(2+) (Ca(2+))(i) in endothelial cells, resulting in Ca(2+)-dependent synthesis and release of endothelial vasodilators. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism of bradykinin-induced Ca(2+) influx in primary cultured rat aortic endothelial cells and in a mouse heart microvessel endothelial cell line (H5V).

Expression of TRPC homologs in endothelial cells and smooth muscle layers of human arteries.

TRPC channels are a group of Ca(2+)-permeable nonselective cation channels that mediate store-operated and/or agonist-stimulated Ca(2+) influx in a variety of cell types. In this study, we extensively examined the expression patterns of TRPC homologs in human vascular tissues. RT-PCR amplified cDNA fragments of TRPC1 (505 bp), TRPC3 (372 bp), TRPC4 (499 bp), TRPC5 (325 bp), TRPC6 (509 bp), and TRPC7 (187 bp) from RNA isolated from cultured human coronary artery endothelial cells.

Depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores sensitizes the flow-induced Ca2+ influx in rat endothelial cells.

Hemodynamic shear stress elicits a rise in endothelial [Ca2+]i, which may serve as a key second messenger to regulate many flow-associated physiological and biochemical processes. In the present study, we used Mn2+ quenching of fluorescent dye Fluo3 as an assay to investigate the Ca2+ influx of rat aortic endothelial cells in response to flow. We found that the Ca2+ signaling in response to flow could be greatly influenced by the status of intracellular Ca2+ stores.