Leukotriene D4 receptor-mediated hydrolysis of phosphoinositide and mobilization of calcium in sheep tracheal smooth muscle cells.

A sheep tracheal smooth muscle primary culture cell system was developed to characterize leukotriene D4 (LTD4) receptor-mediated biochemical and pharmacological effects. [3H]LTD4 binding to the enriched plasma membrane receptor was specific, stereoselective and saturable. LTE4 and high affinity receptor antagonists bound to the receptors with a rank-order potency that was expected from previous smooth muscle contraction studies. In the [3H]myoinositol labeled cells, LTD4 and LTE4 induced phosphoinositide hydrolysis. The biosynthesis of [3H]inositol-trisphosphate was rapid and the induction of biosynthesis of [3H]inositol-monophosphate by LTs was stereoselective and specific and was inhibited specifically by a receptor antagonist, SKF 104353. In the fura-2 loaded smooth muscle cells, LTD4 and LTE4 induced transient intracellular Ca++ mobilization. The fura-2/Ca++ transient was stereoselective and specific and was inhibited by receptor antagonist, SKF 104353. These results suggest that the cultured sheep tracheal smooth muscle cells have plasma membrane receptors for LTD4. These receptors were coupled to a phospholipase C that, when activated by agonists, induced hydrolysis of inositol containing phospholipids. The hydrolysis products, e.g. diacylglycerol and inositol-trisphosphate, may serve as intracellular messengers that trigger or contribute to the contractile effect in sheep tracheal smooth muscle.