Expression and relative abundance of short transient receptor potential channels in the rat renal microcirculation

In the resistance vessels of the renal microcirculation, store- and/or receptor-operated calcium entry contribute to the rise in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) intracellular calcium concentration in response to vasoconstrictor hormones. Short transient receptor potential (TRPC) channels are widely expressed in mammalian tissues and are proposed mediators of voltage-independent cation entry in multiple cell types, including VSMCs. The seven members of the TRPC gene family (TRPC1-7) encode subunit proteins that are thought to form homo- and heterotetrameric channels that are differentially regulated depending on their subunit composition. In the present study, we demonstrate the relative abundance of TRPC mRNA and protein in freshly isolated rat renal resistance vessels, glomeruli, and aorta. TRPC1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 mRNA and protein were detected in both renal resistance vessels and aorta, whereas TRPC2 and TRPC7 mRNA were not expressed. TRPC1, 3, 5, and 6 protein was present in glomeruli. TRPC3 and TRPC6 protein levels were significantly greater in the renal resistance vessels, about six- to eightfold higher than in aorta. These data suggest that TRPC3 and TRPC6 may play a role in mediating voltage-independent calcium entry in renal resistance vessels that is functionally distinct from that in aorta.