Effect of protein kinase C inhibitors on endothelin- and vasopressin-induced constriction of the rat basilar artery.

The goal of this study was to determine whether inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC) attenuate constrictor responses of the basilar artery in vivo to endothelin and arginine vasopressin. In anesthetized rats, the diameter of basilar arteries was measured through a cranial window [control diameter 218 +/- 3 (SE) microns]. Vessel diameter was measured during topical application of agonists and antagonists. Sphingosine (10(-6) M), a PKC inhibitor that binds to the regulatory site of PKC, attenuated vasoconstriction in response to endothelin (10(-9), 10(-8), and 10(-7) M) and vasopressin (10(-9) and 10(-8) M). H-7 (10(-9) M), a PKC inhibitor that binds to the catalytic site of PKC, also inhibited vasoconstriction in response to endothelin and vasopressin. Sphingosine and H-7 did not affect baseline diameter and did not attenuate vasoconstriction in response to prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha. The V1 antagonist [d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)]arginine vasopressin (10(-8) M) significantly inhibited constriction in response to vasopressin (10(-9) and 10(-8) M) but not PGF2 alpha (10(-6) M). These observations suggest that activation of PKC may contribute to endothelin-induced constriction of the basilar artery in vivo and that PKC may also be a mediator of V1-receptor-mediated constriction of the basilar artery in response to vasopressin.