Elemental maps in human allantochorial placental vessels cells. 3. 5-hydroxytryptamine effects

The membrane potential, a regulator of vascular tone, is a function of the physiological activities of ionic channels (particularly, K+ and Ca2+ channels in these cells). These channels regulate the ionic distribution into these cells. Micro-particule induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis was applied to determine the ionic composition of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and of vascular endothelial cells (VECs) in the placental human allantochorial vessels in a physiological medium (Hanks'solution) modified by the addition of a chemical stimulus: 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), an activator of the voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels. In VSMCs (media layer), the addition of 5-HT induced no modification of the Na, K, Cl, P, S and Ca concentrations but increased Mg concentration. In endothelium (VECs) 5-HT addition implicated an increase of the K, S, Ca concentrations, the concentration of the other ions remained constant. In VECs, Ca and K increase is due to open of L-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels and of K(Ca) channels. 5-HT induces also a secretion of endothelium hyperpolarizing factors which implicate decrease of [Ca2+]i in VSMCs opposite to a direct increase by 5-HT. Increase in [Mg2+]i may be due to activation of the Ca/Mg exchanger.