STIMULATION OF CYCLIC ADENOSINE-MONOPHOSPHATE FORMATION BY THE NOVEL VASORELAXANT PEPTIDE ADRENOMEDULLIN IN CULTURED RAT MESANGIAL CELLS

The present study was designed to examine the effect of synthetic adrenomedullin (AM), a novel vasorelaxant peptide originally isolated from human pheochromocytoma, on intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) formation in cultured rat mesangial cells. The effect of AM on cAMP formation in rat mesangial cells was compared with its effect in cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells. cAMP levels were determined by radioimmunoassay after stimulation for 30 minutes with different concentrations (10(-10) to 10(-7) mol/L) of rat and human AM. Rat and human AM concentration-dependently (10(-9) to 10(-7) mol/L) stimulated cAMP formation in cultured mesangial cells. This stimulatory effect of rat AM was significantly greater than human AM. The stimulatory effect of rat AM in mesangial cells was significantly weaker than its potency in vascular smooth muscle cells. These preliminary data suggest that mesangial cells, as well as vascular smooth muscle cells, possess AM receptors functionally coupled to adenylate cyclase. Copyright (C) 1995 by W.B. Saunders Company