1,8-Cineole blocks voltage-gated L-type calcium channels in tracheal smooth muscle.

1,8-Cineole is a cyclic monoterpenoid used in folk medicine for treatment of numerous respiratory diseases and other infections. 1,8-Cineole has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and myorelaxant effects, as well as low toxicity. In the present study, the effects of 1,8-cineole on contractility and voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC) in tracheal smooth muscle were investigated. Intact and dissociated tracheal smooth muscle were used for muscle contraction and patch-clamp recordings, respectively. In experiments involving muscle contraction, 1,8-cineole potentiated contractions at low concentrations and relaxed contractions induced by isotonic K+ at high concentrations. AMTB (a TRPM8 channel blocker) reduced the potentiation induced by 1,8-cineole while indomethacin (a COX inhibitor) did not block this effect. In dissociated myocytes, 1,8-cineole partially blocked Ba2+ currents through VGCC in a concentration-dependent manner. 1,8-Cineole shifted the steady-state activation and inactivation curves to the left and also reduced the current decay time constant. In conclusion, 1,8-cineole has a dual effect on tracheal smooth muscle contraction resulting in a biphasic effect. Our data suggest that the potentiation effect is mediated by activation of TRPM8 channels and the relaxation effect is mediated by the blockage of L-type VGCC.

17ß-Aminoestrogens induce guinea pig airway smooth muscle hyperresponsiveness through L-type Ca(2+) channels activation.

Therapy with estrogens is frequently used in menopausal women and as hormonal contraception. Because of its thrombotic effects, long term estrogen administration used in hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) and contraception could represent a health hazard. In this regard, 17ß-aminoestrogens such as aminoestrol, butolame and pentolame have shown promising HRT potential, because they have a weak agonist estrogenic action and antithrombotic activity. Additionally, estrogens play a protective role in airway smooth muscle, but the effect of 17ß-aminoestrogens on the airway smooth muscle has not been tested yet. In guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle pentolame and butolame induced hyperresponsiveness to histamine (His), carbachol (Cch) and KCl. Interestingly, aminoestrol did not show this effect at the highest concentration studied, it even lowered the contraction induced by Cch. The hyperresponsiveness induced by pentolame to His was abolished by nifedipine. In single tracheal myocytes, KCl induced an increment in the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration [Ca(2+)]i, pentolame also showed an increase in [Ca(2+)]i and the addition of KCl in the plateau of this rise further significantly augmented the [Ca(2+)]i response. Additionally, in patch clamp experiments pentolame increased the L-type Ca(2+) currents. Thus, 17ß-aminoestrogens such as pentolame and butolame, but not aminoestrol, activate L-type Ca(2+) channel to induced hyperresponsiveness to Cch, His and KCl in guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle. Due to its lack of effect on airways and to its anticoagulant characteristics, aminoestrol seems to be the best alternative in the HRT among the 17ß-aminoestrogens studied.

Muscarinic drugs regulate the PKG-II-dependent phosphorylation of M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors at plasma membranes from airway smooth muscle.

Muscarinic agonists induce the activation of the airway smooth muscle (ASM) leading to smooth muscle contraction, important in asthma. This activation is mediated through M2/M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs). Muscarinic receptor activity, expressed as [(3)H]QNB binding at plasma membranes from bovine tracheal smooth muscle (BTSM), increased with cGMP and was augmented significantly cGMP plus ATP but diminished with the PKG-II inhibitor, Sp-8-pCPT-cGMPS. The [(3)H]-QNB binding was accelerated by okadaic acid, (OKA), a protein phosphatase (PPase) inhibitor. These two results indicated the involvement of a membrane-bound PPase. Moreover, a cGMP-dependent-[(32)P]γATP phosphorylation of plasma membranes from BTSM was stimulated at low concentrations of muscarinic agonist carbamylcholine (CC). However, higher amounts of CC produced a significant decrement of [(32)P]-labeling. A selective M3mAChR antagonist, 4-DAMP produced a dramatic inhibition of the basal and CC-dependent [(32)P]-labeling. The [(32)P] labeled membrane sediments were detergent solubilized and immunoprecipitated with specific M2/M3mAChR antibodies. The M3mAChR immuno-precipitates exhibited the highest cGMP-dependent [(32)P]-labeling, indicating it is a PKG-II substrate. Experiments using synthetic peptides from the C-terminal of the third intracellular loop (i3) of both M2mAChR (356-369) and M3mAChR (480-493) as external PKG-II substrates resulted in the i3M3-peptide being heavily phosphorylated. These results indicated that PKG-II phosphorylated the M3mAChR at the i3M3 domain ((480)MSLIKEKK(485)), suggesting that Ser(481) may be the target. Finally, this phosphorylation site seems to be regulated by a membrane-bound PPase linked to muscarinic receptor. These findings are important to understand the role of M3mAChR in the patho-physiology of ASM involved in asthma and COPD.

Selective mastoporan inhibition of muscarinic activation of bovine tracheal smooth muscle

Muscarinic activation of bovine tracheal smooth muscle (BTSM) leading to smooth muscle contraction involves the generation of two cGMP signals (20 and 60 s), being 20s peak associated with soluble (sGC) and the second (60s) to membrane-bound Natriuretic Peptide- receptor-Guanylylcy clases (NPR-GC). In this study, we showed that pre-incubation of isolated BTSM strips with mastoparan and superactive mastoparan (mastoparan 7) decreased significantly the muscarinic dependent contractile smooth muscle responses in dose-dependent and non-competitive manner. Moreover, mastoparan (50 nM) inhibited completely the BTSM-muscarinic contractile responses and affected dramatically the carbachol-dependent cGMP signals being the first cGMP signal inhibited in a 63 ± 5%, whereas the second signal disappeared. Mastoparan inhibition of muscarinic activation is specific since other spasmogens as serotonin and histamine fully contracted these BTSM strips under mastoparan treatment. Cyclic GMP levels were evaluated by exposing BTSM strips to activators of NO-sensitive sGC as Sodium Nitroprussiate (SNP) and Natriuretic Peptides as CNP-53 for membrane-bound NPR-GC. Thus, SNP and CNP increased in a binary way, in more than 20 fold cGMP levels at 30-40 s being both increments inhibited by mastoparan. Furthermore, the Gi/o-protein involvement on mastoparan inhibition of cGMP elevations induced by CNP and SNP is suggested by Pertussis toxin pre-treatment, which reversed mastoparan effects. These results indicate that muscarinic signal transduction cascades leading to airway smooth muscle contractions involved two different guanylyl cyclases being both regulated by mastoparan-sensitive G-proteins. ANP, Natriuretic Peptide type A; ASM, Airway Smooth Muscle; BTSM, Bovine Tracheal Smooth Muscle; CNP-53, Natriuretic Peptide type C-53; GPCR, G-Protein Coupled Receptor; Gq16, Heterotrimeric G protein subtype 16; Gi/o, Heterotrimeric G protein subtype...

La activación muscarínica del músculo liso de las vías aéreasrelacionada a la contracción de dicho músculo liso esta asociada a la generación de dos señales de GMPc (20 y 60 s), siendo la señal de los 20s relacionado a la activación de la guanililciclasa soluble mientras que el pico de los 60s a la guanililciclasa unida membranas y sensible a péptidos natriuréticos (NPR-GC). En este trabajo, nosotros mostramos que la pre-incubación de fragmentos del músculo liso traqueal de bovino (BTSM) con mastoparan y su análogo superactivo (mastoparan 7), en una forma dosis dependiente, son capaces de disminuir de manera significativa la actividad contráctil dependiente de agentes muscarinicos. Adicionalmente, mastoparan (50 nM) inhibió completamente la respuesta contráctil muscarinica del BTSM y afectó dramáticamente los picos de GMPc asociados a la activación muscarinica siendola primera señal inhibida en un 63 ± 5%, mientras que la segunda señal desapareció completamente. Esta inhibición del mastoparan de la activación muscarínica es especifica ya que otros espamogenos como la serotonina y la histamina fueron capaces de inducir respuestas máximas en presencia del mastoparan y su análogos. Este efecto del mastoparan sobre los niveles del GMPc fue evaluado en presencia de otros agentes generadores de este segundo mensajero como son el nitroprusiato de sodio (SNP) que activa la guanililciclasa soluble sensible a NO y los péptidos natriureticos como el CNP-53 (CNP) activador de la NPR-GC asociada a membranas plasmáticas. Tanto, el SNP como el CNP aumentaronen mas de 50 veces los niveles de GMPc a los 30-40 s en forma bifasica, siendo estos incrementos inhibidos de manera significativa por el mastoparan. Ademas, se sugiere la participación de proteínas Gi/o en los efectos inhibitoriosdel mastoparan, porque la Toxina pertussis revertió los efectos inhibitorios. Estos resultados indican que la cascada de activación muscarinica que conduce...