Stimulation of mesangial cells with angiotensin II leads to rapid phosphoinositide hydrolysis and subsequent mobilization of intracellular Ca 2+. Previous studies indicated that activation of protein kinase C (PKC) triggers a negative-feedback signal, which limits phosphoinositide turnover. By comparing the relative susceptibility of PKC isoenzymes to phorbol ester-induced down-regulation with the down-regulation of the functional cell response, i.e. feedback inhibition of inositol trisphosphate production, we inferred that PKC-α and PKC-δ are candidates for regulating phosphoinositide hydrolysis in mesangial cells. To test this hypothesis further, we examined the effects of inhibitors of PKC, that are reportedly not active on PKC-δ, on angiotensin II-stimulated phosphoinositide degradation and Ca 2+ mobilization. Pretreatment of mesangial cells with the PKC inhibitors staurosporine and K252a potently augmented inositol trisphosphate and 1,2-diacylglycerol formation as well as Ca 2+ mobilization in response to angiotensin II. These results suggest that PKC-α, but not PKC-δ, is the most likely candidate mediating feedback inhibition of angiotensin II-stimulated phosphoinositide turnover in mesangial cells.
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