Upregulation of L-type Ca2+ channels in mesenteric and skeletal arteries of SHR

An increased Ca2+ influx attributed to dihydropyridine-sensitive L-type Ca2+ channels has been demonstrated in mesenteric vascular smooth muscle cells of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). This study examined whether an upregulation of the pore-forming alpha(1C) subunit of the L-type Ca2+ channel underlies this ionic defect. With the use of mesenteric arcade arteries from 12- to 16-week-old SHR and normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction demonstrated an increased level of amplified cDNA corresponding to the alpha(1C) subunit mRNA in the SHR arteries. Western blots confirmed that the increased mRNA expression was associated with a 3.4-fold increase in the immunoreactive signal of the alpha(1C) subunit protein in SHR compared with WKY mesenteric arteries, and immunocytochemistry confirmed this abnormality at the single-cell level. Finally, isolated mesenteric arteries from SHR were highly reactive to Bay K8644 and developed anomalous Ca2+-dependent tone, suggesting a functional role for alpha(1C) subunit upregulation in vascular hyperreactivity. To determine if these Ca2+ channel abnormalities extended to the SHR skeletal muscle bed, we repeated a similar series of studies in WKY and SHR hind limb arteries. Skeletal muscle arteries from SHR also expressed higher levels of alpha(1C) subunit mRNA and protein than WKY arteries and developed anomalous Ca2+-dependent tone attributed to L-type Ca2+ channels. Our data provide the first evidence that the alpha(1C) subunit mRNA and protein are upregulated in SHR arteries and that the increased numbers of L-type Ca2+ channel pores are associated with the generation of abnormal vascular tone.