Low intravascular pressure activates endothelial cell TRPV4 channels, local Ca2+ events, and IKCa channels, reducing arteriolar tone

Endothelial cell (EC) Ca2+-activated K channels (SKCa and IKCa channels) generate hyperpolarization that passes to the adjacent smooth muscle cells causing vasodilation. IKCa channels focused within EC projections toward the smooth muscle cells are activated by spontaneous Ca2+ events (Ca2+ puffs/pulsars). We now show that transient receptor potential, vanilloid 4 channels (TRPV4 channels) also cluster within this microdomain and are selectively activated at low intravascular pressure. In arterioles pressurized to 80 mmHg, ECs generated low-frequency (similar to 2 min(-1)) inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor-based Ca2+ events. Decreasing intraluminal pressure below 50 mmHg increased the frequency of EC Ca2+ events twofold to threefold, an effect blocked with the TRPV4 antagonist RN1734. These discrete events represent both TRPV4-sparklet- and nonsparklet-evoked Ca2+ increases, which on occasion led to intracellular Ca2+ waves. The concurrent vasodilation associated with increases in Ca2+ event frequency was inhibited, and basal myogenic tone was increased, by either RN1734 or TRAM-34 (IKCa channel blocker), but not by apamin (SKCa channel blocker). These data show that intraluminal pressure influences an endothelial microdomain inversely to alter Ca2+ event frequency; at low pressures the consequence is activation of EC IKCa channels and vasodilation, reducing the myogenic tone that underpins tissue blood-flow autoregulation.