中文摘要：

The present study attempted to test a novel hypothesis that Ca2+ sparks play an important role in arterial relaxation induced by tacrolimus. Recorded with confocal laser scanning microscopy, tacrolimus（10 μmol/L） increased the frequency of Ca2+ sparks, which could be reversed by ryanodine（10 μmol/L）. Electrophysiological experiments revealed that tacrolimus（10 μmol/L） increased the large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ currents（BKCa） in rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells（AVSMCs）, which could be blocked by ryanodine（10 μmol/L）. Furthermore, tacrolimus（10 and 50 μmol/L） reduced the contractile force induced by norepinephrine（NE） or KCl in aortic vascular smooth muscle in a concentration-dependent manner, which could be also significantly attenuated by iberiotoxin（100 nmol/L） and ryanodine（10 μmol/L） respectively. In conclusion, tacrolimus could indirectly activate BKCa currents by increasing Ca2+ sparks released from ryanodine receptors, which inhibited the NE- or KCl-induced contraction in rat aorta.

英文摘要：

The present study attempted to test a novel hypothesis that Ca^2＋ sparks play an important role in arterial relaxation induced by tacrolimus. Recorded with confocal laser scanning microscopy, tacrolimus（10 μmol/L） increased the frequency of Ca^2＋ sparks, which could be reversed by ryanodine（10 μmol/L）. Electrophysiological experiments revealed that tacrolimus（10 μmol/L） increased the large-conductance Ca^2＋-activated K＋ currents（BKCa） in rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells（AVSMCs）, which could be blocked by ryanodine（10 μmol/L）. Furthermore, tacrolimus（10 and 50 μmol/L） reduced the contractile force induced by norepinephrine（NE） or KCl in aortic vascular smooth muscle in a concentration-dependent manner, which could be also significantly attenuated by iberiotoxin（100 nmol/L） and ryanodine（10 μmol/L） respectively. In conclusion, tacrolimus could indirectly activate BKCa currents by increasing Ca^2＋ sparks released from ryanodine receptors, which inhibited the NE- or KCl-induced contraction in rat aorta.