Agonist-induced production of 1,2-diacylglycerol and phosphatidic acid in intact resistance arteries. Evidence that accumulation of diacylglycerol is not a prerequisite for contraction.

The production of total amounts of 1,2-diacylglycerol as well as those specifically derived from inositol lipid hydrolysis was studied in intact rat resistance arteries stimulated with either noradrenaline, vasopressin, or angiotensin II at 20 s when the onset of contraction would be nearing its maximum, and at 5 min during the sustained phase of contraction. Total amounts of 1,2-diacylglycerol were not altered by any agonist at 20 s, or at 5 min. However, arachidonate-containing species of 1,2-diacylglycerol were differentially influenced being increased at 5 min by noradrenaline, and decreased at 20 s and 5 min by vasopressin. Only angiotensin II produced substantial increases in this class of 1,2-diacylglycerol at both time points. In order to investigate the fate of this second messenger total and inositol lipid derived phosphatidic acids were then measured at both 20 s and 5 min. Noradrenaline induced a rise in both total and arachidonate-containing phosphatidic acid at both times as did vasopressin. Only small increases were induced by angiotensin II at 20 s. These data demonstrate that the accumulation of 1,2-diacylglycerol generated from inositol lipid breakdown is only observed with activation by angiotensin II. Other agonists produced phosphatidic acids with time and the rate of generation of these lipids is agonist-specific. Thus phosphatidic acid may play a more prominent role during the sustained phase of contraction than previously anticipated.