An antihypertensive extract of erythrocytes: effects on 45Ca uptake and efflux

Abstract

The present report describes some aspects of the effects of a recently described antihypertensive extract of erythrocytes (AHF) on calcium uptake and efflux in rat aortae. AHF was found to be present in the erythrocytes of both spontaneously hypertensive rats and normotensive rats. Furthermore, AHF obtained from erythrocytes of SH rats was shown to be equally effective in suppressing lanthanum-resistant calcium uptake in aortae from hypertensive and normotensive rats. AHF treatment prior to incubation of aortae with 45Ca caused an apparent increase in the total 45Ca uptake. The analysis of calcium washout curves obtained for tissue in calcium-free or lanthanum-containing media indicated that AHF had no significant effect on the rate of calcium loss from the slow component of efflux, though this compartment tended to be reduced in size. This indicated that the increase in the 45Ca content of AHF-exposed aortae prior to rinsing was confined to the rapid component of efflux. The loss of calcium from the rapidly exchanging compartment was enhanced in either of the efflux media used. The results suggest that a principal action of AHF involves an increase in the lability and exchangeability of calcium stores. In addition to its effects in resting tissue, AHF abolished the increase in lanthanum-resistant calcium uptake induced in rat aortae by the addition of high K+ or norepinephrine to the incubation media. In a second part of the study, the effect of AHF on blood pressure and in vitro calcium uptake were compared with that of phosphatidylethanolamine (PEA), the probable identity of another endogenous antihypertensive (renin preinhibitor) compound earlier shown to share important functional similarities with AHF. The results reduce the likelihood that the two causal agents are identical. The AHF produced a significant (75 Torr, 1 Torr = 133.32 Pa) fall in the systolic blood pressure (SBP) of spontaneously hypertensive rats within 24 h following injection, whereas PEA had no effect on the SBP in this model. Both AHF and PEA reduced the resting in vitro uptake of "lanthanum-resistant" calcium in rat aortic segments. However, the AHF effect was significantly greater than PEA at each concentration studied.