cAMP protects endothelial barrier function independent of inhibiting MLC20-dependent tension development

Exposure of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells to the cAMP agonists theophylline and forskolin decreased constitutive isometric tension of a confluent monolayer inoculated on a collagen membrane, but it did not prevent increased tension in cells exposed to thrombin. The inability of cAMP agonists to prevent tension development correlated with an inability of cAMP stimulation to prevent increased 20-kDa myosin light chain (MLC20) phosphorylation in response to thrombin. Although cAMP did not prevent tension development or increased MLC20 phosphorylation, cAMP attenuated the effect of thrombin on transendothelial electrical resistance across a confluent monolayer inoculated on a gold microelectrode. Activation of cAMP-dependent signal transduction did not prevent a decline in resistance in thrombin-treated cells, but it more promptly restored transendothelial resistance to initial basal levels (10 min) compared with thrombin only (60 min). ML-7, an MLC kinase antagonist, at doses that attenuate increased MLC20 phosphorylation and tension development, did not prevent a decline in resistance in thrombin-treated cells. Yet, ML-7 also restored transendothelial resistance more rapidly than thrombin alone (20 min) but at a slower rate than cAMP. These data demonstrate that activation of cAMP-dependent signal transduction protects barrier function independent of inhibition of MLC20-dependent tension development.