Abstract P277: β-arrestin-2-mediated Vasodilatation In Mouse Mesenteric Arteries

Abstract

As part of GPCRs-dependent signaling, β -arrestin-2 has been shown to stimulate eNOS activity and thus has the potential to modulate vascular function. We hypothesized that the absence of β -arrestin-2 would alter vascular dilatation and contraction in resistance arteries. We tested acetylcholine (ACh)-dependent relaxation and phenylephrine (PE)-dependent contraction in mouse mesenteric arteries isolated from 3-mo old male C57Bl6 (WT, n=5) and β -arrestin-2 KO ( βarr2 -/- , n=5) mice. Segments were mounted in a Wire Myograph (DMT) for determination of isometric force; vessels studied included intact, without endothelium, or pre-incubated with L-NAME (10 -4 M). Dose-response curves were performed for ACh (10 -10 -10 -4.5 M) and PE (10 -10 -10 -4.5 M). Data were acquired using a PowerLab (ADInstruments) system. Maximal response to ACh (ACh MAX ) was expressed as maximal relaxation after pre-constriction, maximal response to PE (PE MAX ) as % of contraction to 75mM KCl (%K MAX ), and sensitivity as pD 2 (-Log[EC 50 ]). Data were analyzed using Prism (GraphPad). After pre-constriction (PE, 3x10 -6 M), arteries from βarr2 -/- mice presented similar ACh MAX (79±6 vs. 82±6, p>0.05) and lower sensitivity to ACh compared to WT (6.66±0.2 vs. 7.12±0.1, p<0.05). The sensitivity of the contraction to PE was increased in βarr2 -/- arteries (6.4±0.2 vs. 6.04±0.1, p<0.05), with no changes in PE MAX . Differences in vasodilation and contraction were abolished in arteries without endothelium and in arteries pre-incubated with L-NAME. We conclude that the absence of β -arrestin-2 induces a pro-contractile phenotype in an endothelium- and nitric oxide-dependent manner in mouse resistance arteries.