Effects of prostaglandin F2α, latanoprost and carbachol on phosphoinositide turnover, MAP kinases, myosin light chain phosphorylation and contraction and functional existence and expression of FP receptors in bovine iris sphincter

A potential role for myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) in regulating intraocular pressure and outflow function has recently been reported in living monkey eye and rabbit eye. There is little information about the effects of the ocular hypotensive agents, prostaglandin F-2alpha (PGF(2alpha)) and latanoprost on this signaling pathway in ocular tissues. The aim of this study was to determine the agonist activity of PGF(2alpha), latanoprost and carbachol (CCh) on the MLCK pathway in isolated bovine iris sphincter and furthermore to investigate the existence of the FP receptor in this tissue. In the present studies on the MLCK pathway four signal transduction mechanism assays were employed, phosphoinositide (PI) turnover, p42/p44 MAP kinase phosphorylation and activation, MLC phosphorylation and contraction. In the studies on the existence of the FP receptor in the bovine iris sphincter, the pharmacology and expression of the FP receptor protein, using a polyclonal anti-FP-receptor antibody and Western blot analysis, were determined. The data obtained on the MLCK pathway showed that the three agonists stimulated the biochemical and pharmacological responses in a concentration and time-dependent manner and that the order of potency and efficacy is PGF(2alpha) > latanoprost > CCh. The EC50 values in the PI turnover, MAP kinase phosphorylation, MLC phosphorylation and contraction assays were for PGF(2alpha): 9, 42, 200 and 140 nM, respectively, for latanoprost: 13, 59, 250 and 828 nM, respectively, and for CCh: 22, 200, 630 and 910 nM, respectively. Wortmannin, a selective inhibitor of MLCK, dose-dependently inhibited MLC phosphorylation and contraction induced by PGF(2alpha), demonstrating a close relationship between activation of the MLCK pathway and contraction. The pharmacological studies showed that in the concentration range of 1 nM to 10 muM, the FP-receptor agonists caused concentration-response curves with the following order of potencies: 17-phenyl trinor PGF(2alpha) (bimatoprost acid) > PGF(2alpha) > cloprostenol > latanoprost > latanoprost acid > bimatoprost amide > fluprostenol. Immunoblot analysis of the FP receptor demonstrated expression of the prostaglandin FP receptor protein in this smooth muscle. These results clearly indicate that the MLCK signaling pathway is involved in the FP-receptor function of the bovine iris sphincter and furthermore demonstrate that functional FP receptors exist and are expressed in this tissue. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.