Relationship of Intracellular Free Ca2+ Concentration and Calcium-activated Chloride Channels of Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells in Rats under Hypoxic Conditions / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

ABSTRACT

To investigate the relationship between intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i)and calcium-activated chloride (Clca) channels of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) in rats under acute and chronic hypoxic conditions, acute hypoxia-induced contraction was observed in rat pulmonary artery by using routine blood vascular perfusion in vitro. The fluorescence Ca2+indicator Fura-2/AM was used to observe [Ca2+]i of rat PASMCs under normal and chronic hypoxic condition. The effect of Clca channels on PASMCs proliferation was assessed by MTT assay.The Clca channel blockersniflumic acid (NFA) and indaryloxyacetic acid (IAA-94) exerted inhibitory effects on acute hypoxia-evoked contractions in the pulmonary artery. Under chronic hypoxic condition, [Ca2+ ]i was increased. Under normoxic condition, [Ca2+]i was (123.63±18.98) nmol/L, and in hypoxic condition, [Ca2+]i was (281. 75±16.48) nmol/L (P＜0.01). Under normoxic condition, [Ca2+]i showed no significant change and no effect on Clca channels was observed (P＞0. 05). Chronic hypoxia increased [Ca2+]i which opened Clca channels. The NFA and IAA-94blocked the channels and decreased [Ca2+]i from (281. 75±16.48) nmol/L to (117.66±15.36)nmol/L (P＜0.01). MTT assay showed that under chronic hypoxic condition NFA and IAA-94 decreased the value of absorbency (A value) from 0. 459±0. 058 to 0. 224±0. 025 (P＜0.01).Hypoxia increased [Ca2+]i which opened Clca channels and had a positive-feedback in [Ca2+]i. Thismay play an important role in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. Under chronic hypoxic condition,Clca channel may play a part in the regulation of proliferation of PASMCs.