Functional implications of Ca2+ mobilizing properties for nitric oxide production in aortic endothelium.

We have investigated the relationship between Ca2+ mobilization and the cellular production of nitric oxide (NO) by using fura-2 and diaminofluorescein-2 (DAF-2), an NO-sensitive dye, in bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC). High concentrations of ATP (100 microM) or thapsigargin (1 micro M) depleted intracellular Ca2+ store sites with a single Ca2+ transient, and induced an increase in DAF-2 fluorescence even in Ca2+-free solution, thereby indicating that store depletion leads to NO production. The same level of increase in DAF-2 fluorescence was elicited by low concentrations of ATP (1 micro M), which induced Ca2+ oscillations but did not deplete store sites, only in the presence of extracellular Ca2+. Furthermore, inhibition of ATP (1 micro M)-induced Ca2+ entry with La3+ suppressed DAF-2 fluorescence. ATP (0.3 micro M), applied in Ca2+-free, Mn2+-containing solution induced Mn2+ entry-coupled fura-2 quenching, repeating shortly after each oscillation peak. These results indicate that NO is produced preferentially by entered Ca2+, and that Ca2+ oscillations, which are induced by low levels of stimulation, play a significant role in NO production by strongly modulating Ca2+ entry.