Modulation of noradrenaline-induced microvascular constriction by protein kinase inhibitors

We have tested the role of various protein kinases in noradrenaline-induced, alpha1A-adrenoceptor-mediated constriction of mesenteric and intrarenal rat microvessels. The protein kinase C inhibitors, H7 and staurosporine, inhibited constriction in both vessel types in concentrations which also inhibit myosin light chain kinase. The more selective protein kinase C inhibitors, bisindolylmaleimide I and Gö 6976, did not inhibit microvessel constriction in concentrations selective for protein kinase C. Moreover, the protein kinase C-activating phorbol ester, phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate, did not cause constriction. The tyrosine kinase inhibitors, genistein and tyrphostin 23, inhibited constriction in concentrations compatible with tyrosine kinase inhibition. An inhibitor of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase cascade, PD 98059, also caused concentration-dependent inhibition. While chelation of extracellular Ca2+ abolished noradrenaline-induced constrictions, the Ca2+-ATPase inhibitor, thapsigargin, had no effects. We conclude that tyrosine kinases and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (but not protein kinase C) may be involved in noradrenaline-induced rat mesenteric and intrarenal microvessel constriction but this appears to occur independently of an effect on sarcoplasmic Ca2+ storage.