Abstract: | BackgroundThe extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) belongs to family C of the G protein coupled receptors. Whether the CaSR is expressed in the pulmonary artery (PA) is unknown.MethodsThe expression and distribution of CaSR were detected by RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescence. PA tension was detected by the pulmonary arterial ring technique, and the intracellular calcium concentration (Ca2+]i) was detected by a laser-scanning confocal microscope.ResultsThe expressions of CaSR mRNA and protein were found in both rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) and PAs. Increased levels of Ca2+]o (extracellular calcium concentration) or Gd3+ (an agonist of CaSR) induced an increase of Ca2+]i and PAs constriction in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, the above-mentioned effects of Ca2+ and Gd3+ were inhibited by {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"U73122","term_id":"4098075","term_text":"U73122"}}U73122 (specific inhibitor of PLC), 2-APB (specific antagonist of IP3 receptor), and thapsigargin (blocker of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase).ConclusionsCaSR is expressed in rat PASMCs, and is involved in regulation of PA tension by increasing Ca2+]i through G-PLC-IP3 pathway. |