Hyperoxia increases H2O2 production by brain in vivo

Hyperoxia and hyperbaric hyperoxia increased the rate of cerebral hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production in unanesthetized rats in vivo, as measured by the H2O2-mediated inactivation of endogenous catalase activity following injection of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole. Brain catalase activity in rats breathing air (0.2 ATA O2) decreased to 75, 61, and 40% of controls due to endogenous H2O2 production at 30, 60, and 120 min, respectively, after intraperitoneal injection of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole. The rate of catalase inactivation increased linearly in rats exposed to 0.6 ATA O2 (3 ATA air), 1.0 ATA O2 (normobaric 100% O2) and 3.0 ATA O2 (3 ATA 100% O2) compared with 0.2 ATA O2 (room air). Catalase inactivation was prevented by pretreatment of rats with ethanol (4 g/kg), a competitive substrate for the reactive catalase-H2O2 intermediate, compound I. This confirmed that catalase inactivation by 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole was due to formation of the catalase-H2O2 intermediate, compound I. The linear rate of catalase inactivation allows estimates of the average steady-state H2O2 concentration within brain peroxisomes to be calculated from the formula: [H2O2] = 6.6 pM + 5.6 ATA-1 X pM X [O2], where [O2] is the concentration of oxygen in ATA that the rats are breathing. Thus the H2O2 concentration in brains of rats exposed to room air is calculated to be about 7.7 pM, rises 60% when O2 tension is increased to 100% O2, and increases 300% at 3 ATA 100% O2, where symptoms of central nervous system toxicity first become apparent. These studies support the concept that H2O2 is an important mediator of O2-induced injury to the central nervous system.     

Progesterone increases skeletal muscle mitochondrial H2O2 emission in nonmenopausal women

The luteal phase of the female menstrual cycle is associated with both 1) elevated serum progesterone (P4) and estradiol (E2), and 2) reduced insulin sensitivity. Recently, we demonstrated a link between skeletal muscle mitochondrial H(2)O(2) emission (mE(H2O2)) and insulin resistance. To determine whether serum levels of P4 and/or E(2) are related to mitochondrial function, mE(H2O2) and respiratory O(2) flux (Jo(2)) were measured in permeabilized myofibers from insulin-sensitive (IS, n = 24) and -resistant (IR, n = 8) nonmenopausal women (IR = HOMA-IR > 3.6). Succinate-supported mE(H2O2) was more than 50% greater in the IR vs. IS women (P < 0.05). Interestingly, serum P4 correlated positively with succinate-supported mE(H2O2) (r = 0. 53, P < 0.01). To determine whether P4 or E2 directly affect mitochondrial function, saponin-permeabilized vastus lateralis myofibers biopsied from five nonmenopausal women in the early follicular phase were incubated in P4 (60 nM), E2 (1.4 nM), or both. P4 alone inhibited state 3 Jo(2), supported by multisubstrate combination (P < 0.01). However, E2 alone or in combination with P4 had no effect on Jo(2). In contrast, during state 4 respiration, supported by succinate and glycerophosphate, mE(H2O2) was increased with P4 alone or in combination with E2 (P < 0.01). The results suggest that 1) P4 increases mE(H2O2) with or without E2; 2) P4 alone inhibits Jo(2) but not when E2 is present; and 3) P4 is related to the mE(H2O2) previously linked to skeletal muscle insulin resistance.     

Biphasic effect of hydrogen peroxide on skeletal muscle arteriolar tone via activation of endothelial and smooth muscle signaling pathways.

We hypothesized that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has a role in the local regulation of skeletal muscle blood flow, thus significantly affecting the myogenic tone of arterioles. In our study, we investigated the effects of exogenous H2O2 on the diameter of isolated, pressurized (at 80 mmHg) rat gracilis skeletal muscle arterioles (diameter of approximately 150 microm). Lower concentrations of H2O2 (10(-6)-3 x 10(-5) M) elicited constrictions, whereas higher concentrations of H2O2 (6 x 10(-5)-3 x 10(-4) M), after initial constrictions, caused dilations of arterioles (at 10(-4) M H2O2, -19 +/- 1% constriction and 66 +/- 4% dilation). Endothelium removal reduced both constrictions (to -10 +/- 1%) and dilations (to 33 +/- 3%) due to H2O2. Constrictions due to H2O2 were completely abolished by indomethacin and the prostaglandin H2/thromboxane A2 (PGH2/TxA2) receptor antagonist SQ-29548. Dilations due to H2O2 were significantly reduced by inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (to 38 +/- 7%) but were unaffected by clotrimazole or sulfaphenazole (inhibitors of cytochrome P-450 enzymes), indomethacin, or SQ-29548. In endothelium-denuded arterioles, clotrimazole had no effect, whereas H2O2-induced dilations were significantly reduced by charybdotoxin plus apamin, inhibitors of Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels (to 24 +/- 3%), the selective blocker of ATP-sensitive K+ channels glybenclamide (to 14 +/- 2%), and the nonselective K(+)-channel inhibitor tetrabutylammonium (to -1 +/- 1%). Thus exogenous administration of H2O2 elicits 1) release of PGH2/TxA2 from both endothelium and smooth muscle, 2) release of nitric oxide from the endothelium, and 3) activation of K+ channels, such as Ca(2+)-activated and ATP-sensitive K+ channels in the smooth muscle resulting in biphasic changes of arteriolar diameter. Because H2O2 at low micromolar concentrations activates several intrinsic mechanisms, we suggest that H2O2 contributes to the local regulation of skeletal muscle blood flow in various physiological and pathophysiological conditions.     

H(2)O(2)-induced kinetic and chemical modifications of smooth muscle myosin: correlation to effects of H(2)O(2) on airway smooth muscle

The effect of H(2)O(2) on smooth muscle heavy meromyosin (HMM) and subfragment 1 (S1) was examined. The number of molecules that retained the ability to bind ATP and the actinactivated rate of P(i) release were measured by single-turnover kinetics. H(2)O(2) treatment caused a decrease in HMM regulation from 800- to 27-fold. For unphosphorylated and phosphorylated heavy meromyosin and for S1, approximately 50% of the molecules lost the ability to bind to ATP. H(2)O(2) treatment in the presence of EDTA protected against ATPase inactivation and against the loss of total ATP binding. Inactivation of S1 versus time correlated to a loss of reactive thiols. Treatment of H(2)O(2)-inactivated phosphorylated HMM or S1 with dithiothreitol partially reactivated the ATPase but had no effect on total ATP binding. H(2)O(2)-inactivated S1 contained a prominent cross-link between the N-terminal 65-kDa and C-terminal 26-kDa heavy chain regions. Mass spectral studies revealed that at least seven thiols in the heavy chain and the essential light chain were oxidized to cysteic acid. In thiophosphorylated porcine tracheal muscle strips at pCa 9 + 2.1 mM ATP, H(2)O(2) caused a approximately 50% decrease in the amplitude but did not alter the rate of force generation, suggesting that H(2)O(2) directly affects the force generating complex. Dithiothreitol treatment reversed the H(2)O(2) inhibition of the maximal force by approximately 50%. These data, when compared with the in vitro kinetic data, are consistent with a H(2)O(2)-induced loss of functional myosin heads in the muscle.     

Reduction in ABCG1 in Type 2 diabetic mice increases macrophage foam cell formation

Atherosclerosis development is accelerated severalfold in patients with Type 2 diabetes. In the initial stages of disease, monocytes transmigrate into the subendothelial space and differentiate into foam cells. Scavenger receptors and ATP binding cassette (ABC) Transporters play an important role in foam cell formation as they regulate the influx and efflux of oxidized lipids. Here, we show that peritoneal macrophages isolated from Type 2 diabetic db/db mice have decreased expression of the ABC transporter ABCG1 and increased expression of the scavenger receptor CD36. We found a 2-fold increase in accumulation of esterified cholesterol in diabetic db/db macrophages compared with wild-type control macrophages. Diabetic db/db macrophages also had impaired cholesterol efflux to high density lipoprotein but not to lipid-free apo A-I, suggesting that the increased esterified cholesterol in diabetic db/db macrophages was due to a selective loss of ABCG1-mediated efflux to high density lipoprotein. Additionally, we were able to confirm down-regulation of ABCG1 using C57BL/6J peritoneal macrophages cultured in elevated glucose in vitro (25 mM glucose for 7 days), suggesting that ABCG1 expression in diabetic macrophages is regulated by chronic exposure to elevated glucose. Diabetic KK(ay) mice were also studied and were found to have decreased ABCG1 expression without an increase in CD36. These observations demonstrate that ABCG1 plays a major role in macrophage cholesterol efflux and that decreased ABCG1 function can facilitate foam cell formation in Type 2 diabetic mice.     

H2O2 activates redox- and 4-aminopyridine-sensitive Kv channels in coronary vascular smooth muscle

Previously, we demonstrated that coronary vasodilation in response to hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) is attenuated by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), an inhibitor of voltage-gated K(+) (K(V)) channels. Using whole cell patch-clamp techniques, we tested the hypothesis that H(2)O(2) increases K(+) current in coronary artery smooth muscle cells. H(2)O(2) increased K(+) current in a concentration-dependent manner (increases of 14 +/- 3 and 43 +/- 4% at 0 mV with 1 and 10 mM H(2)O(2), respectively). H(2)O(2) increased a conductance that was half-activated at -18 +/- 1 mV and half-inactivated at -36 +/- 2 mV. H(2)O(2) increased current amplitude; however, the voltages of half activation and inactivation were not altered. Dithiothreitol, a thiol reductant, reversed the effect of H(2)O(2) on K(+) current and significantly shifted the voltage of half-activation to -10 +/- 1 mV. N-ethylmaleimide, a thiol-alkylating agent, blocked the effect of H(2)O(2) to increase K(+) current. Neither tetraethylammonium (1 mM) nor iberiotoxin (100 nM), antagonists of Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels, blocked the effect of H(2)O(2) to increase K(+) current. In contrast, 3 mM 4-AP completely blocked the effect of H(2)O(2) to increase K(+) current. These findings lead us to conclude that H(2)O(2) increases the activity of 4-AP-sensitive K(V) channels. Furthermore, our data support the idea that 4-AP-sensitive K(V) channels are redox sensitive and contribute to H(2)O(2)-induced coronary vasodilation.     

Altered calcium signaling in colonic smooth muscle of type 1 diabetic mice

Seventy-six percent of diabetic patients develop gastrointestinal symptoms, such as constipation. However, the direct effects of diabetes on intestinal smooth muscle are poorly described. This study aimed to identify the role played by smooth muscle in mediating diabetes-induced colonic dysmotility. To induce type 1 diabetes, mice were injected intraperitoneally with low-dose streptozotocin once a day for 5 days. Animals developed hyperglycemia (>200 mg/dl) 1 wk after the last injection and were euthanized 7-8 wk after the last treatment. Computed tomography demonstrated decreased overall gastrointestinal motility in the diabetic mice. In vitro contractility of colonic smooth muscle rings from diabetic mice was also decreased. Fura-2 ratiometric Ca(2+) imaging showed attenuated Ca(2+) increases in response to KCl stimulation that were associated with decreased light chain phosphorylation in diabetic mice. The diabetic mice also exhibited elevated basal Ca(2+) levels, increased myosin phosphatase targeting subunit 1 expression, and significant changes in expression of Ca(2+) handling proteins, as determined by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting. Mice that were hyperglycemic for <1 wk also showed decreased colonic contractile responses that were associated with decreased Ca(2+) increases in response to KCl stimulation, although without an elevation in basal Ca(2+) levels or a significant change in the expression of Ca(2+) signaling molecules. These data demonstrate that type 1 diabetes is associated with decreased depolarization-induced Ca(2+) influx in colonic smooth muscle that leads to attenuated myosin light chain phosphorylation and impaired colonic contractility.     

Contribution of store-operated Ca2+ entry to pHo-dependent changes in vascular tone of porcine coronary smooth muscle

Vascular smooth muscle contracts on increases of extracellular pH (pH(o)) and relaxes on pH(o) decreases possibly resulting from changes in transsarcolemmal Ca(2+) influx. Therefore, we studied store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE; i.e. capacitative Ca(2+) entry (CCE)) during acidification (pH(o)=6.5) and alkalinization (pH(o)=8.0) in isolated porcine coronary smooth muscle cells (SMCs) by monitoring cytoplasmic Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) and divalent cation entry (Mn(2+) quench) with fura-2/AM-fluorometry. Additionally, we evaluated the contribution of SOCE to pH(o)-dependent changes in isometric tension of porcine coronary smooth muscle strips. SOCE elicited in SMCs by the SERCA inhibitor BHQ was strongly modulated by pH(o) showing a decrease upon acidification and vice versa an increase upon alkalinization. BHQ-mediated tension of smooth muscle strips also revealed strong pH(o) dependence. In contrast, L-VOC-dependent tension ([K(+)](o)=20 and 40 mmol l(-1)) was remarkably less affected by pH(o) changes. Moreover, refilling of depleted Ca(2+) stores after repeated M(3)-cholinergic receptor stimulation could be almost completely inhibited by SKF 96365 and was markedly reduced by acidification and considerably enhanced by alkalinization pointing to a major role of SOCE in refilling. We conclude that vascular tone particularly responds to alterations in pH(o) whenever SOCE substantially contributes to the amount of activator Ca(2+) for contraction.     

Neuropeptide Y-induced intracellular Ca2+ increases in vascular smooth muscle cells

The effect of neuropeptide Y (NPY) on cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) was studied in cultured smooth muscle cells from porcine aorta (PASMC) and compared with the effect of bradykinin (BK) and angiotensin II (ATII) on [Ca2+]i. All peptides induced dose-dependent and transient rises in [Ca2+]i which were not blocked by extracellular EGTA, but the NPY response was different from the others' as follows. First, the [Ca2+]i rise induced by NPY was not as rapid as that induced by BK or ATII. Second, pertussis toxin abolished the [Ca2+]i rise induced by NPY, but not by BK or ATII. Third, following initial treatment with BK, PASMC were able to respond to NPY, but not to ATII. Finally, BK and ATII, but not NPY, significantly increased inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3) generation. Although NPY attenuated forskolin-induced accumulation of cyclic AMP, forskolin- and 3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine-induced alterations in intracellular cyclic AMP did not affect the NPY-induced [Ca2+]i rise. These results suggest that NPY increases [Ca2+]i by a pertussis toxin-sensitive GTP binding protein-involved mechanism which is not mediated by the intracellular messengers such as Ins(1,4,5)P3 and cyclic AMP.     

Origins of the BOLD changes due to synaptic activity at astrocytes abutting arteriolar smooth muscle

We have recently provided a detailed model that links glutamatergic synaptic activity to volume and blood flow changes in nearby arterioles [Bennett, M.R., Farnell, L., Gibson, W.G., 2008. Origin of blood volume change due to glutamatergic synaptic activity at astrocytes abutting on arteriolar smooth muscle cells. J. Theor. Biol. 250, 172-185]. This neurovascular coupling model is used in the present work to predict changes in deoxyhemoglobin (Hbr) in capillaries, arterioles, venules and veins due to glutamatergic synaptic activity and hence the changes in the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signals recorded by functional magnetic resonance imaging. The model provides a quantitative account of Hbr changes observed in each of the vascular compartments following stimulation of somatosensory cortex and visual cortex and of the BOLD signal following stimulation of motor and visual cortex.     

Mobilization of intracellular calcium by peroxynitrite in arteriolar smooth muscle cells from rats

The present study was designed to investigate the possible effects of peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)) on the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) of mesenteric arteriolar smooth muscle cells (ASMCs), and to reveal the underlying mechanisms by using fluorescence imaging analysis. The results showed that ONOO(-) could exert a concentration- and time-dependent but also a dual effect on [Ca(2+)](i). Bolus administration with a low concentration of ONOO(-) (25 microM) decreased [Ca(2+)](i), whereas higher concentrations (50 or 100 microM) increased [Ca(2+)](i) persistently. Further experiments demonstrated that pretreatment of ASMCs with calcium-free medium completely abolished [Ca(2+)](i) increase by 100 microM ONOO(-). Additionally, nifedipine, an antagonist of selective L-type voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs), delayed the [Ca(2+)](i) response to ONOO(-), and ryanodine, an inhibitor of intracellular calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, effectively antagonized [Ca(2+)](i) increase during the late stage of ONOO(-) exposure. Furthermore, [Ca(2+)](i) alteration by ONOO(-) appeared to be intimately associated with the subsequent membrane potential changes. Although the mechanisms by which ONOO(-) alters [Ca(2+)](i) are complex, we conclude that a series of variables such as external calcium influx, activation of VGCCs, intracellular calcium release, and membrane potential changes are involved. The decrease of [Ca(2+)](i) in ASMCs by a low concentration of ONOO(-) may participate in the pathogenesis of low vasoreactivity in shock, and the increase of [Ca(2+)](i) by high concentrations of ONOO(-) may lead to calcium overload with cellular injury.     

Measurement of mouse vascular smooth muscle and atheroma cell proliferation by 2H2O incorporation into DNA

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) and leukocyte proliferation are central features of atherosclerosis. Using ²H₂O to label the deoxyribose moiety of newly synthesized DNA in VSMC and atheroma cells from mouse aorta, we developed a method to measure DNA replication and, hence, cell division. Cell turnover/proliferation in aortae from normal and apolipoprotein E (ApoE)-knockout (ApoE^–/–) mice was measured. Mice were injected with ²H₂O to achieve 2% body water enrichments and then maintained on 4% ²H₂O in drinking water for weeks to months. DNA from the intimal-medial layer of the aorta was extracted and hydrolyzed to deoxyribonucleosides. Purified deoxyadenosine was derivatized to pentane tetraacetate for analysis of ²H enrichment by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. VSMC proliferation was measurable but slow in adult mice (0.12 ± 0.08%/day) and higher in young mice (0.25 ± 0.08%/day). VSMC delabeling revealed that ²H died away slowly in VSMC DNA, confirming the low turnover rate. Atheroma cell proliferation was elevated in ApoE^–/– mice fed low- or high-fat diets for 15 wk, concurrent with histological appearance of atherosclerosis. Validation of the method for VSMC was confirmed by comparison of in vitro rat VSMC proliferation rates using ²H₂O with cell counts and bromodeoxyuridine proliferative index. In summary, proliferation of VSMC and atheroma cells can be quantified reliably and sensitively without radioactivity and may be an informative biomarker in vascular hyperplastic diseases, including atherosclerosis. atherosclerosis; gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; stable isotopes; animal model     

Neuropeptide modulation of lymphatic smooth muscle tone in the canine forelimb

Neurokinin A and B are putative inflammatory mediators. We assessed their ability to alter prenodal lymphatic resistance. Intralymphatic neurokinin A (3.0 x 10(-6), 3.0 x 10(-5) and 3.0 x 10(-4) mol l(-1)) significantly constricted lymphatics at the two highest doses. Preliminary experiments suggested that neurokinin B might dilate lymphatics. To test this, lymphatic pressure was increased by norepinephrine (3.1 x 10(-6) mol l(-1)). Neurokinin B (2.7 x 10(-4) mol l(-1)) was then infused intralymphatically during norepinephrine infusion. Norepinephrine increased perfusion pressure from 5.6 +/- 0.6 mmHg to 12.1 +/- 1.4 mmHg. Subsequent infusion of neurokinin B significantly decreased lymphatic perfusion pressure from 11.9 +/- 1.3 mmHg to 9.9 +/- 1.1 mmHg. These data indicate that neurokinin A and B can alter lymphatic resistance and are consistent with the hypothesis that lymph vessel function may be subject to modulation by neurokinins.     

Interleukin-13 enhanced Ca2+ oscillations in airway smooth muscle cells

Physiological mechanisms associated with interleukin-13 (IL-13), a key cytokine in asthma, in intracellular Ca²⁺ signaling in airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) remain unclear. The aim of this study was to assess effects of IL-13 on Ca²⁺ oscillations in response to leukotriene D4 (LTD4) in human cultured ASMCs.LTD4-induced Ca²⁺ oscillations in ASMCs pretreated with IL-13 were imaged by confocal microscopy. mRNA expressions of cysteinyl leukotriene 1 receptors (CysLT1R), CD38, involved with the ryanodine receptors (RyR) system, and transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC), involved with store-operated Ca²⁺ entry (SOCE), were determined by real-time PCR. In IL-13-pretreated ASMCs, frequency of LTD4-induced Ca²⁺ oscillations and number of oscillating cells were significantly increased compared with untreated ASMCs. Both xestospongin C, a specific inhibitor of inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptors (IP₃R), and ryanodine or ruthenium red, inhibitors of RyR, partially blocked LTD4-induced Ca²⁺ oscillations. Ca²⁺ oscillations were almost completely inhibited by 50 μM of 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB), which dominantly blocks SOCE but not IP₃R at this concentration. Pretreatment with IL-13 increased the mRNA expressions of CysLT1R and CD38, but not of TRPC1 and TRPC3.We conclude that IL-13 enhances frequency of LTD4-induced Ca²⁺ oscillations in human ASMCs, which may be cooperatively modulated by IP₃R, RyR systems and possibly by SOCE.     

Phorbol diester-induced H2O2 production by peritoneal macrophages. Different H2O2 production by macrophages from normal and BCG-infected mice despite comparable phorbol diester receptors

Mouse peritoneal macrophages respond to environmental stimuli in different ways depending on their state of differentiation. Macrophages from mice with bacillus Calmette--Guerin (BCG) infection produced large amounts of H2O2 in response to phorbol diesters (PDEs), while those from noninfected mice produced little or no H2O2. The effects of PDEs on cells are mediated by specific cellular receptors for these ligands. The purpose of this study was to determine if the varying responses of macrophages from different groups of mice were caused by differences in their receptors for the PDE ligands. By all parameters studied, the binding of [20-3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate ( [3H]PDBu) was similar in all macrophages irrespective of their ability to produce H2O2 in response to PDEs. Binding of [3H]PDBu was rapid at 23 degrees C reaching a maximum at 10-20 min with a subsequent decline to 50-60% of maximum by 30-60 min. Binding was slower at 0 degrees C reaching a maximum at 90-120 min. The binding was reversible, with dissociation kinetics paralleling association kinetics. The binding was saturable; the Kd's (45 to 91 nM) and number of binding sites (about 7-14 X 10(5)/cell or 11-12 pmol/mg protein) were essentially the same for the different classes of macrophages. The binding was specific, and analogs of PDBu inhibited [3H]PDBu binding to macrophages with potencies comparable to their potencies in causing in vivo tumor promotion and elicitation of other cellular responses in vitro. The ligands [3H]PDBu and [3H]PMA were degraded to comparable degrees by macrophages from normal or BCG-infected mice. Macrophages from C3H/HeJ and C3H/HeN mice, although known to differ in their abilities to respond to stimuli such as lymphokines and LPS, did not differ in their ability to produce H2O2 in response to PDEs or in their receptors for PDEs. Results of this study suggest that in vivo "activation" of macrophages in mice infected with BCG is not associated with a change in the cells' receptors for PDEs, but may be associated with "postreceptor" changes such as linkage of the PDE receptor with NAD(P)H oxidase, a change in NAD(P)H oxidase, or induction of synthesis of NAD(P)H oxidase.     

Role of hydroxyl radical in the oxidant H2O2-mediated Ca2+ release from pulmonary smooth muscle mitochondria

We sought to investigate the mechanism(s) by which the oxidant H₂O₂ stimulates Ca²⁺ release from mitochondria of bovine pulmonary vascular smooth muscle tissue and to test the hypothesis that hydroxyl radical is involved in this phenomenon. Treatment of the smooth muscle tissue with 1 mM H₂O₂ dramatically stimulated hydroxyl radical generation as measured by methane (CH₄) production by GLC using dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as the substrate. Pretreatment of the mitochondria with the hydroxyl radical scavanger dimethylthiourea (DMTU) prevented the increase in CH₄ production caused by H₂O₂. In the absence of EGTA, H₂O₂ caused stimulation of Ca²⁺ release from mitochondria occurred with a lag time of about 4 min. Addition of EGTA to Ca²⁺ loaded mitochondria resulted an immediate loss of Ca²⁺ and that has been found to be augmented by H₂O₂. The release of Ca₂₊ by H₂O₂ did not appear to occur with concommitant increase in sucrose entry into, K⁺ release from, and swelling of mitochondria when the Ca²⁺ cycling was prevented by EGTA. These observations suggested that H₂O₂-mediated Ca²⁺ release from bovine pulmonary vascular smooth muscle tissue mitochondria occurred (i) through the involvement of hydroxyl radical; (ii) via specific pathway(s); and (iii) did not appear to happen primarily via nonspecific pore formation.Abbreviations H₂O₂ hydrogen peroxide - OH· hydroxyl radical - t-buOOH tert-butyl hydroperoxide - CH₄ methane - GLC gas liquid chromatography - DMTU dimethylthiourea - EGTA ethylene glycol bis(-aminoethyl ether) - N Ntetraacetic acid - DMSO dimethyl sulfoxide - CH₄ methane - HBPS Hank's buffered physiological saline - HEPES N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N-2-ethane sulfonic acid - MOPS 3-(N-morpholino)propane sulfonic acid - Tris tris (hydroxymethyl aminomethane)