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Effects of endothelin-1 on calcium-independent contraction of bovine trabecular meshwork

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Abstract

Background

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is known to induce contraction of trabecular meshwork (TM) and is probably involved in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. Calcium (Ca2+)-independent contraction has been shown in TM, and its inhibition may represent an interesting way of influencing outflow facility, and thus intraocular pressure (IOP). This study investigates the role of ET-1 and its receptors ET-A and ET-B (ET-AR and ET-BR) in TM Ca2+-independent contractility.

Methods

Isometric tension measurements of bovine TM (BTM) strips were performed using a force-length transducer system. Intra- and extracellular Ca2+ buffering was achieved by means of EGTA and BAPTA-AM. Under Ca2+-free conditions, ET-1-induced contractility of TM was assessed also in the presence of the specific inhibitors for ET-AR and ET-BR, BQ123 and BQ788 respectively. In order to clarify the intracellular mediators of Ca2+-independent contractility induced by ET-1, TM contraction was further measured in the presence of Y-27632, a selective inhibitor of Rho-associated kinases (ROCKs). The expression of ROCK1 and of its activating protein RhoA in BTM cells was investigated using western blot analysis.

Results

ET-1 induced a significant contraction of native BTM after intra- and extracellular Ca2+-depletion (45% ± 8% of the maximally inducible contraction). Both endothelin receptor inhibitors BQ123 and BQ788 significantly reduced TM Ca2+-independent contraction in response to ET-1 (8.4 ± 3.3% and 20.3 ± 4.8% respectively). In the presence of the ROCK inhibitor Y-27632, ET-1-induced contraction of TM under Ca2+-free conditions was almost completely abolished (4.3% ± 1.7%, p < 0.001). A clear signal for RhoA at 24 kDa and ROCK1 at 160 kDa could be detected in lysates of native tissue and cultured BTM cells with western blot.

Conclusions

This study shows evidence that a significant portion of ET-1-induced contraction of TM is Ca2+-independent. In this contraction pathway, both ET-AR and ET-BR are involved with RhoA and its kinases as intracellular mediators. Ca2+-independent contraction of TM in response to ET-1 may represent a specific target to modulate IOP.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Marianne Boxberger and Ingrid Lichtenstein for expert technical support. This work was partly supported by DFG grant Th 751/4-1.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55101, Mainz, Germany

    Giulia Renieri, Lars Choritz, Norbert Pfeiffer & Hagen Thieme

  2. Institut für Klinische Physiologie, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany

    Rita Rosenthal & Susann Meissner

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  1. Giulia Renieri
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  2. Lars Choritz
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  3. Rita Rosenthal
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Correspondence to Hagen Thieme.

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Grant: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG Th751/4-1)

The authors have full control of all primary data and they agree to allow Graefe’s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology to review their data upon request.

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Renieri, G., Choritz, L., Rosenthal, R. et al. Effects of endothelin-1 on calcium-independent contraction of bovine trabecular meshwork. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 246, 1107–1115 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-008-0817-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-008-0817-4

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