Membrane potential controls calcium entry into descending vasa recta pericytes.

MS R-00251-2002-R1 Membrane Potential Controls Calcium Entry into Descending Vasa Recta Pericytes

Special Communication Ca signaling and membrane potential in descending vasa recta pericytes and endothelia

Rhinehart, Kristie, Zhong Zhang, and Thomas L. Pallone. Ca2 signaling and membrane potential in descending vasa recta pericytes and endothelia. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 283: F852–F860, 2002. First published April 23, 2002; 10.1152/ajprenal.00065.2002.—We devised a method for removal of pericytes from isolated descending vasa recta (DVR). After enzymatic digestion, aspiration of a descending v...

Mural propagation of descending vasa recta responses to mechanical stimulation.

To investigate the responses of descending vasa recta (DVR) to deformation of the abluminal surface, we devised an automated method that controls duration and frequency of stimulation by utilizing a stream of buffer from a micropipette. During stimulation at one end of the vessel, fluorescent responses from fluo4 or bis[1,3-dibutylbarbituric acid-(5)] trimethineoxonol [DiBAC₄(3)], indicating cy...

Syncytial communication in descending vasa recta includes myoendothelial coupling.

Using dual cell patch-clamp recording, we examined pericyte, endothelial, and myoendothelial cell-to-cell communication in descending vasa recta. Graded current injections into pericytes or endothelia yielded input resistances of 220 ± 21 and 128 ± 20 MΩ, respectively (P < 0.05). Injection of positive or negative current into an endothelial cell depolarized and hyperpolarized adjacent endotheli...

Inhibition of K+ conductance in descending vasa recta pericytes by ANG II.

We tested whether K(+) channel inhibition accompanies ANG II-induced depolarization of descending vasa recta (DVR) pericytes. An increase in extracellular K(+) concentration ([K(+)](o)) from 5 to 100 mM depolarized resting pericytes but had no effect after prolonged (10 nM, 20 min) ANG II exposure. In contrast, reduction of extracellular Cl(-) concentration ([Cl(-)](o)) from 154 to 34 mM had a ...