Response of isolated rat descending vasa recta to bradykinin

Outer medullary descending vasa recta (OMDVR) were dissected from the outer medullary vascular bundles of young rats, perfused in vitro, and loaded with fura 2 for measurement of intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+](i)) by fluorescent ratio imaging. Fluorescent video images revealed that fura 2 selectively loads into endothelial cells but not pericytes. Bradykinin (BK), at concentrations >10(-11) M, elicited an increase in [Ca2+](i) from baseline values in the range from 50 to 100 nM to peak values of 600-800 nM followed by a sustained plateau of 150-250 nM. The vasopressin V-1-receptor agonist [Phe(2),Ile(3),Orn(8)]vasopressin constricted OMDVR but yielded no observable [Ca2+](i) response, a finding that is consistent with an endothelial cell origin for the fura 2 fluorescent signal. The BK [Ca2+](i) response was blocked by the selective BK B-2-receptor antagonists D-Arg-[Hyp(3),Thi(5,8),D-Phe(7)]BK and D-Arg-[Hyp(3),D-Phe(7),Leu(8)]BK but not the B-1 antagonist des-Arg(9)-[Leu(8)]BK. BK vasodilated microperfused OMDVR that had been preconstricted with 10(-8) M angiotensin II. We conclude that the [Ca2+](i) response of OMDVR endothelia can be selectively studied with fura 2, that BK increases endothelial [Ca2+](i) via the B-2 receptor, and that BK can vasodilate descending vasa recta.