Evidence that the ATP-induced increase in vasomotion of guinea-pig mesenteric lymphatics involves an endothelium-dependent release of thromboxane A2.

1. Experiments were made to investigate mechanisms by which adenosine 5'-trisphosphate (ATP) enhanced vasomotion in mesenteric lymphatic vessels isolated from young guinea-pigs. 2. ATP (10-8 - 10-3 M) caused a concentration-dependent increase of perfusion-induced vasomotion with the endothelium mediating a fundamental role at low ATP concentrations (10-8 - 10-6 M). 3. The response to 10-6 M ATP showed tachyphylaxis when applied at intervals of 10 min but not at intervals of 20 or 30 min. 4. Suramin (10-4 M) or reactive blue 2 (3x10-5 M) but not PPADS (3x10-5 M) abolished the excitatory response to 10-6 M ATP confirming an involvement of P2 purinoceptors. 5. The excitatory response to 10-6 M ATP was abolished by treatment with either pertussis toxin (100 ng ml-1), antiflammin-1 (10-9 M), indomethacin (3x10-6 M) or SQ29548 (3x10-7 M), inhibitors of specific G proteins, phospholipase A2, cyclo-oxygenase and thromboxane A2 receptors respectively. 6. ATP simultaneously induced a suramin-sensitive inhibitory response, which was normally masked by the excitatory response. ATP-induced inhibition was mediated by endothelium-derived nitric oxide (EDNO) as the response was abolished by NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG; 10-4 M), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase. 7. We conclude that ATP modulates lymphatic vasomotion by endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent mechanisms. One of these is a dominant excitation caused through endothelial P2 purinoceptors which because of an involvement of a pertussis toxin sensitive G-protein may be of the P2Y receptor subtype. Their stimulation increases synthesis of phospholipase A2 and production of thromboxane A2, an arachidonic acid metabolite which acts as an endothelium-derived excitatory factor.

Evidence that the substance P-induced enhancement of pacemaking in lymphatics of the guinea-pig mesentery occurs through endothelial release of thromboxane A2.

1. In vitro studies were performed to examine the mechanisms underlying substance P-induced enhancement of constriction rate in guinea-pig mesenteric lymphatic vessels. 2. Substance P caused an endothelium-dependent increase in lymphatic constriction frequency which was first significant at a concentration of 1 nM (115 +/- 3% of control, n = 11) with 1 microM, the highest concentration tested, increasing the rate to 153 +/- 4% of control (n = 9). 3. Repetitive 5 min applications of substance P (1 microM) caused tachyphylaxis with tissue responsiveness tending to decrease (by an average of 23%) and significantly decreasing (by 72%) for application at intervals of 30 and 10 min, respectively. 4. The competitive antagonist of tachykinin receptors, spantide (5 microM) and the specific NK1 receptor antagonist, WIN51708 (10 microM) both prevented the enhancement of constriction rate induced by 1 microM substance P. 5. Endothelial cells loaded with the Ca2+ sensing fluophore, fluo 3/AM did not display a detectable change in [Ca2+]i upon application of 1 microM substance P. 6. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase by NG nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG; 100 microM) had no significant effect on the response induced by 1 microM substance P. 7. The enhancement of constriction rate induced by 1 microM substance P was prevented by the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin (3 microM), the thromboxane A2 synthase inhibitor, imidazole (50 microM), and the thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist, SQ29548 (0.3 microM). 8. The stable analogue of thromboxane A2, U46619 (0.1 microM) significantly increased the constriction rate of lymphangions with or without endothelium, an effect which was prevented by SQ29548 (0.3 microM). 9. Treatment with pertussis toxin (PTx; 100 ng ml-1) completely abolished the response to 1 microM substance P without inhibiting either the perfusion-induced constriction or the U46619-induced enhancement of constriction rate. 10. Application of the phospholipase A2 inhibitor, antiflammin-1 (1 nM) prevented the enhancement of lymphatic pumping induced by substance P (1 microM), without inhibiting the response to either U46619 (0.1 microM) or acetylcholine (10 microM). 11. The data support the hypothesis that the substance P-induced increase in pumping rate is mediated via the endothelium through NK1 receptors coupled by a PTx sensitive G-protein to phospholipase A2 and resulting in generation of the arachidonic acid metabolite, thromboxane A2 this serving as the diffusible activator.

Contribution of alpha-adrenoceptors to depolarization and contraction evoked by continuous asynchronous sympathetic nerve activity in rat tail artery.

1. The effects of continuous but asynchronous nerve activity induced by ciguatoxin (CTX-1) on the membrane potential and contraction of smooth muscle cells have been investigated in rat proximal tail arteries isolated in vitro. These effects have been compared with those produced by the continuous application of phenylephrine (PE). 2. CTX-1 (0.4 nM) and PE (10 microM) produced a maintained depolarization of the arterial smooth muscle that was almost completely blocked by alpha-adrenoceptor blockade. In both cases, the depolarization was more sensitive to the selective alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist, idazoxan (0.1 microM), than to the selective alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist, prazosin (0.01 microM). 3. In contrast, the maintained contraction of the tail artery induced by CTX-1 (0.2 nM) and PE (2 and 10 microM) was more sensitive to prazosin (0.01) microM, than to idazoxan (0.01 microM). In combination, these antagonists almost completely inhibited contraction to both agents. 4. Application of the calcium channel antagonist, nifedipine (1 microM), had no effect on the depolarization induced by either CTX-1 or PE but maximally reduced the force of the maintained contraction to both agents by about 50%. 5. We conclude that the constriction of the tail artery induced by CTX-1, which mimics the natural discharge of postganglionic perivascular axons, is due almost entirely to alpha-adrenoceptor activation. The results indicate that neuronally released noradrenaline activates more than one alpha-adrenoceptor subtype. The depolarization is dependent primarily on alpha 2-adrenoceptor activation whereas the contraction is dependent primarily on alpha 1-adrenoceptor activation. The links between alpha-adrenoceptor activation and the voltage-dependent and voltage-independent mechanisms that deliver Ca2+ to the contractile apparatus appear to be complex.