Potentiation of angiotensin II-stimulated vascular contraction by lithium

Previous studies have suggested that lithium prolongs or enhances vascular contractions stimulated by alpha-adrenergic agents. The present study was performed to determine whether a similar phenomenon occurs with angiotensin II (ANG II)-stimulated contractions and whether this phenomenon results from interactions with the phosphoinositide signaling system. Contractions of rat aortic rings with 100 nM ANG II were 38% greater in the presence of 20 mM LiCl than in its absence (0.47 +/- 0.07 vs. 0.34 +/- 0.05 g tension/mg dry tissue wt, P < 0.01). The effects of lithium on inositol phosphate responses, diacylglycerol responses, and intracellular calcium concentration on single or repeated stimulations with ANG II were then examined in vascular smooth muscle cells cultured from rat aorta. Cells exposed twice to 100 nM ANG II contained 50% lower inositol trisphosphate levels (InsP3) and 10% lower diacylglycerol levels than cells exposed to ANG II only once. LiCl or lithium acetate abolished these desensitizations in a concentration-dependent manner. Similarly, InsP3 and diacylglycerol responses to a single exposure of ANG II were heightened by lithium (by 75 and 25%, respectively), and the duration of the responses was prolonged by lithium (5- and 2-fold, respectively). In contrast, ANG II-stimulated calcium transients were not enhanced or prolonged by lithium, nor was desensitization of ANG II-stimulated cytosolic calcium mobilization upon serial exposures abolished by lithium. When ring contraction studies were repeated in the presence of the protein kinase C inhibitor staurosporine (150 nM), lithium no longer potentiated ANG II contractions [0.38 +/- 0.03 (control) vs. 0.35 +/- 0.06 g tension/mg dry tissue wt (lithium)].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)