L-arginine-induced dilatation of goat coronary artery involves activation of K(ATP) channels.

In the present study, the mechanism of relaxant response of nitric oxide precursor, L-arginine, was investigated in goat isolated coronary artery. L-arginine (1 mM) reversed the U-46619 (1 microM)-induced contraction both in endothelium-intact and endothelium-denuded arterial ring preparations. L-arginine analogues, L-NAME, L-NNA and L-NMMA and the guanylyl cyclase inhibitor, methylene blue failed to attenuate the relaxant response of L-arginine. These observations negate the involvement of nitric oxide in mediating the relaxation by L-arginine. K(ATP) channel blocker, glibenclamide (3 microM), abolished the vasorelaxant responses of L-arginine in endothelium-denuded preparations, thereby suggesting the involvement of KATP channels. Further, L-arginine also failed to induce relaxation of the coronary arterial rings constricted with K+ (80 mM)-PSS. Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that L- arginine relaxes goat isolated coronary artery through activation of K(ATP) channels.

Sodium nitroprusside relaxes goat coronary artery through activation of calcium-dependent K+ channels.

In the present investigation we have examined the hypothesis that calcium-dependent K+ channels (K(Ca)) are involved in the sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-induced vasodilatation of goat coronary artery. SNP (10(-9)-3 x 10(-6) M), added cumulatively, relaxed K+ (30 mM)-contracted coronary artery ring segments in a concentration-dependent manner with an EC50 of 1.32 x 10(-7) M (95% CL, 0.93-1.86 x 10(-7) M; n = 21). K(Ca) blocker, tetraethyl ammonium (1 mM) caused a rightward shift in the concentration-response curve of SNP with a corresponding increase in EC50 (1.62 x 10(-6) M; 95% CL, 0.44-6.02 x 10(-6) M, n = 4) of nitro vasodilator. Lowering of extra cellular Ca2+ in the physiological saline solution to 1/4 of normal selectively attenuated the vasorelaxant response of SNP, thereby causing an increase in its EC50 (2.4 x 10(-6) M; 95% CL, 1.23-4.68 x 10(-6) M, n = 4). Exposure of the tissues to high K+ (80 mM) solution, a protocol adopted to reduce the K+ gradient across the cell membrane, markedly inhibited the coronary artery relaxations induced by SNP (EC50, 2.54 x 10(-6) M; 95% CL, 1.31-4.91 x 10(-6) M, n = 4), when compared with tissues contracted with low K+ (30 mM) solution (EC50 7.9 x 10(-8); 95% CL, 4.4 x 10(-8)-1.44 x 10(-7) M, n = 6). The results suggested that a major component of SNP-induced relaxation of goat coronary artery was mediated by K(Ca) channels.

Nitric oxide activates glibenclamide-sensitive K+ channels in urinary bladder myocytes through a c-GMP-dependent mechanism.

In the present investigation, we used standard patch clamp techniques to test whether nitric oxide (NO) generation has any role to play with either activation or inhibition of ATP-sensitive (KATP) channels in guinea-pig urinary bladder. We found that NO generation leads to activation of KATP channels through a cyclic guanosine monophosphate (c-GMP)-dependent protein kinase. 3-Morpholinosydnonimine (SIN, 100 microM) potentiated activation of an inward current in whole cell patch clamp experiments. Glibenclamide (10 microM) and 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, 10 microM) inhibited the SIN-activated current. Both in cell-attached and in inside out patches, SIN (200 microM) potentiated KATP channel activity, and the increased channel activity in inside out patches was suppressed by glibenclamide (50 microM), ATP (1 mM) and (9s,10R,12R)-2,3,9,10,11,12-Hexahydro-10-methoxy-2,9-dimethyl-1-oxo-9,12,-epoxy-1H-diindolo[1,2,3-fg:3',2',1'-kl]pyrrolo[3,4-i][1,6] benzodiazocine-10-carboxylic acid, methyl ester (KT-5823, 10 nM). 8-Br-cGMP (100 microM) increased the KATP channel activity in cell-attached patches, and this was suppressed by glibenclamide (50 microM). These results suggest that the NO-c-GMP-PKG pathway contributes to activation of K(ATP) channels in guinea-pig urinary bladder myocytes.