Background and purpose: N-Arachidonoyl glycine (NAGly) is a lipoamino acid with vasorelaxant properties. We aimed to explore the mechanisms of NAGly's action on unstimulated and agonist-stimulated endothelial cells.
Experimental approach: The effects of NAGly on endothelial electrical signalling were studied in combination with vascular reactivity.
Key results: In EA.hy926 cells, the sustained hyperpolarization to histamine was inhibited by the non-selective Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger (NCX) inhibitor bepridil and by an inhibitor of reversed mode NCX, KB-R7943. In cells dialysed with Cs⁺-based Na⁺-containing solution, the outwardly rectifying current with typical characteristics of NCX was augmented following histamine exposure, further increased upon external Na⁺ withdrawal and inhibited by bepridil. NAGly (0.3-30 μM) suppressed NCX currents in a URB597- and guanosine 5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) (GDPβS)-insensitive manner, [Ca²⁺]i elevation evoked by Na⁺ removal and the hyperpolarization to histamine. In rat aorta, NAGly opposed the endothelial hyperpolarization and relaxation response to ACh. In unstimulated EA.hy926 cells, NAGly potentiated the whole-cell current attributable to large-conductance Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ (BK(Ca)) channels in a GDPβS-insensitive, paxilline-sensitive manner and produced a sustained hyperpolarization. In cell-free inside-out patches, NAGly stimulated single BK(Ca) channel activity.
Conclusion and implications: Our data showed that NCX is a Ca²⁺ entry pathway in endothelial cells and that NAGly is a potent G-protein-independent modulator of endothelial electrical signalling and has a dual effect on endothelial electrical responses. In agonist pre-stimulated cells, NAGly opposes hyperpolarization and relaxation via inhibition of NCX-mediated Ca²⁺ entry, while in unstimulated cells, it promotes hyperpolarization via receptor-independent activation of BK(Ca) channels.
© 2013 The Authors. British Journal of Pharmacology © 2013 The British Pharmacological Society.