Signal transduction of ET-1 in contraction of cerebral arteries.

The signaling pathways of endothelin-1-induced contraction, including the role of protein tyrosine kinase (PTK), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), protein kinase C (PKC) and RhoA/Rho-kinase were studied using rabbit basilar arteries by isometric tension and Western blot. The following results were observed: (1) endothelin-1 produced phosphorylation of MAPK and RhoA and contraction by activation of endothelin-A but not endothelin-B receptors; (2) MAPK inhibitors, PD 98059 and U0126, PTK inhibitor, genistein, Src kinase inhibitor, damnacanthal, and Janus tyrosine kinase (JAK2) inhibitor, AG-490, abolished endothelin-1-induced contraction and MAPK immunoreactivity; (3) PTK inhibitor, staurosporine, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI- 3K) inhibitor wortmannin abolished endothelin-1 induced contraction but not MAPK immunoreactivity; (4) Rho-kinase inhibitor, Y-27632, reduced endothelin-1-induced contraction; (5) PI-3K inhibitor, wortmannin, but not PKC and PTK inhibitors, reduced endothelin-1-induced RhoA activation; (6) endothelin-1 increased the level of myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation, and Rho-kinase inhibitor, Y-27632, reduced the effect of endothelin- 1 on MLC phosphorylation. This study demonstrated that three signaling pathways Src-JAK2-PTK-MAPK, PI-3K-RhoA-Rhokinase- MLC and PKC all contribute to endothelin-1-induced contraction in the rabbit basilar artery. MAPK is downstream of PTK, Src and JAK pathways. PI-3 kinase and MLC might be the upstream and downstream factors of RhoA activation.