Hypoxic vasoconstriction of cyclostome systemic vessels: the antecedent of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction?

Mitochondrial oxygen sensing of acute hypoxia in specialized cells - Is there a unifying mechanism?

Acclimation to acute hypoxia through cardiorespiratory responses is mediated by specialized cells in the carotid body and pulmonary vasculature to optimize systemic arterial oxygenation and thus oxygen supply to the tissues. Acute oxygen sensing by these cells triggers hyperventilation and hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction which limits pulmonary blood flow through areas of low alveolar oxygen content. Oxygen sensing of acute hypoxia by specialized cells thus is a fundamental pre-requisite for aerobic life and maintains systemic oxygen supply. However, the primary oxygen sensing mechanism and the question of a common mechanism in different specialized oxygen sensing cells remains unresolved. Recent studies unraveled basic oxygen sensing mechanisms involving the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 4 isoform 2 that is essential for the hypoxia-induced release of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and subsequent acute hypoxic responses in both, the carotid body and pulmonary vasculature. This review compares basic mitochondrial oxygen sensing mechanisms in the pulmonary vasculature and the carotid body.

A Case for Hydrogen Sulfide Metabolism as an Oxygen Sensing Mechanism

The ability to detect oxygen availability is a ubiquitous attribute of aerobic organisms. However, the mechanism(s) that transduce oxygen concentration or availability into appropriate physiological responses is less clear and often controversial. This review will make the case for oxygen-dependent metabolism of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and polysulfides, collectively referred to as reactive sulfur species (RSS) as a physiologically relevant O₂ sensing mechanism. This hypothesis is based on observations that H₂S and RSS metabolism is inversely correlated with O₂ tension, exogenous H₂S elicits physiological responses identical to those produced by hypoxia, factors that affect H₂S production or catabolism also affect tissue responses to hypoxia, and that RSS efficiently regulate downstream effectors of the hypoxic response in a manner consistent with a decrease in O₂. H₂S-mediated O₂ sensing is then compared to the more generally accepted reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated O₂ sensing mechanism and a number of reasons are offered to resolve some of the confusion between the two.

Oxygen sensing and signal transduction in hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction

Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV), also known as the von Euler-Liljestrand mechanism, is an essential response of the pulmonary vasculature to acute and sustained alveolar hypoxia. During local alveolar hypoxia, HPV matches perfusion to ventilation to maintain optimal arterial oxygenation. In contrast, during global alveolar hypoxia, HPV leads to pulmonary hypertension. The oxygen sensing and signal transduction machinery is located in the pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) of the pre-capillary vessels, albeit the physiological response may be modulated in vivo by the endothelium. While factors such as nitric oxide modulate HPV, reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been suggested to act as essential mediators in HPV. ROS may originate from mitochondria and/or NADPH oxidases but the exact oxygen sensing mechanisms, as well as the question of whether increased or decreased ROS cause HPV, are under debate. ROS may induce intracellular calcium increase and subsequent contraction of PASMCs via direct or indirect interactions with protein kinases, phospholipases, sarcoplasmic calcium channels, transient receptor potential channels, voltage-dependent potassium channels and L-type calcium channels, whose relevance may vary under different experimental conditions. Successful identification of factors regulating HPV may allow development of novel therapeutic approaches for conditions of disturbed HPV.

Hydrogen sulfide as an oxygen sensor

SIGNIFICANCE

Although oxygen (O2)-sensing cells and tissues have been known for decades, the identity of the O2-sensing mechanism has remained elusive. Evidence is accumulating that O2-dependent metabolism of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is this enigmatic O2 sensor.

RECENT ADVANCES

The elucidation of biochemical pathways involved in H2S synthesis and metabolism have shown that reciprocal H2S/O2 interactions have been inexorably linked throughout eukaryotic evolution; there are multiple foci by which O2 controls H2S inactivation, and the effects of H2S on downstream signaling events are consistent with those activated by hypoxia. H2S-mediated O2 sensing has been demonstrated in a variety of O2-sensing tissues in vertebrate cardiovascular and respiratory systems, including smooth muscle in systemic and respiratory blood vessels and airways, carotid body, adrenal medulla, and other peripheral as well as central chemoreceptors.

CRITICAL ISSUES

Information is now needed on the intracellular location and stoichometry of these signaling processes and how and which downstream effectors are activated by H2S and its metabolites.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Development of specific inhibitors of H2S metabolism and effector activation as well as cellular organelle-targeted compounds that release H2S in a time- or environmentally controlled way will not only enhance our understanding of this signaling process but also provide direction for future therapeutic applications.

Hydrogen sulfide mediates hypoxic vasoconstriction through a production of mitochondrial ROS in trout gills

Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) is an adaptive response that diverts pulmonary blood flow from poorly ventilated and hypoxic areas of the lung to more well-ventilated parts. This response is important for the local matching of blood perfusion to ventilation and improves pulmonary gas exchange efficiency. HPV is an ancient and highly conserved response, expressed in the respiratory organs of all vertebrates, including lungs of mammals, birds, and reptiles; amphibian skin; and fish gills. The mechanism underlying HPV and how cells sense low Po(2) remains elusive. In perfused trout gills (Oncorhynchus mykiss), acute hypoxia, as well as H(2)S, caused an initial and transient constriction of the vasculature. Inhibition of the enzymes cystathionine-β-synthase and cystathionine-γ-lyase, which blocks H(2)S production, abolished the hypoxic response. Individually blocking the four complexes in the electron transport chain abolished both the hypoxic and the H(2)S-mediated constriction. Glutathione, an antioxidant and scavenger of superoxide, attenuated the vasoconstriction in response to hypoxia and H(2)S. Furthermore, diethyldithiocarbamate, an inhibitor of superoxide dismutase, attenuated the hypoxic and H(2)S constriction. This strongly suggests that H(2)S mediates the hypoxic vasoconstriction in trout gills. H(2)S may stimulate the mitochondrial production of superoxide, which is then converted to hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). Thus, H(2)O(2) may act as the "downstream" signaling molecule in hypoxic vasoconstriction.

Cardiac responses to anoxia in the Pacific hagfish, Eptatretus stoutii

In the absence of any previous study of the cardiac status of hagfishes during prolonged anoxia and because of their propensity for oxygen-depleted environments, the present study tested the hypothesis that the Pacific hagfish Eptatretus stoutii maintains cardiac performance during prolonged anoxia. Heart rate was halved from the routine value of 10.4±1.3 beats min⁻¹ by the sixth hour of an anoxic period and then remained stable for a further 30 h. Cardiac stroke volume increased from routine (1.3±0.1 ml kg⁻¹) to partially compensate the anoxic bradycardia, such that cardiac output decreased by only 33% from the routine value of 12.3±0.9 ml min⁻¹ kg⁻¹. Cardiac power output decreased by only 25% from the routine value of 0.26±0.02 mW g⁻¹. During recovery from prolonged anoxia, cardiac output and heart rate increased to peak values within 1.5 h. Thus, the Pacific hagfish should be acknowledged as hypoxic tolerant in terms of its ability to maintain around 70% of their normoxic cardiac performance during prolonged anoxia. This is only the second fish species to be so classified.

Hydrogen sulfide and oxygen sensing in the cardiovascular system

Vertebrate cardiorespiratory homeostasis is inextricably dependent upon specialized cells that provide feedback on oxygen status in the tissues, blood, and on occasion, environment. These "oxygen sensing" cells include chemoreceptors and oxygen-sensitive chromaffin cells that initiate cardiorespiratory reflexes, vascular smooth muscle cells that adjust perfusion to metabolism or ventilation, and other cells that condition themselves in response to episodic hypoxia. Identification of how these cells sense oxygen and transduce this into the appropriate physiological response has enormous clinical applicability, but despite intense research there is no consensus regarding the initial hypoxia-effector coupling mechanism. This review examines an alternative mechanism of oxygen sensing using oxidation of endogenously produced hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) as the O(2)-sensitive couple. Support for this hypothesis includes the similarity of effects of hypoxia and H(2)S on a variety of tissues, augmentation of hypoxic responses by precursors of H(2)S production and their inhibition by inhibitors of H(2)S synthesis, and the rapid consumption of H(2)S by O(2) in the range of intracellular/mitochondrial Po(2). These studies also indicate that, under normoxic conditions, it is doubtful that free H(2)S has longer than a transient existence in tissue or extracellular fluid.

Vasoactivity of hydrogen sulfide in normoxic and anoxic turtles (Trachemys scripta)

Systemic vascular resistance ( Rsys) of freshwater turtles increases substantially during anoxia, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. We investigated whether hydrogen sulfide (H2S), an endogenously produced metabolite believed to be an O2 sensor/transducer of vasomotor tone, contributes to the increased Rsys of anoxic red-eared slider turtles ( Trachemys scripta ). Vascular infusion of the H2S donor NaHS in anesthetized turtles at 21°C and fully recovered normoxic turtles at 5°C and 21°C revealed H2S to be a potent vasoconstrictor of the systemic circulation. Likewise, wire myography of isolated turtle mesenteric and pulmonary arteries demonstrated H2S to mediate an anoxia-induced constriction. Intriguingly, however, NaHS did not exert vasoconstrictory effects during anoxia (6 h at 21°C; 14 days at 5°C) when plasma H2S concentration, estimated from the colorimetric measurement of plasma acid-labile sulfide concentration, likely increased by ∼3- and 4-fold during anoxia at 21°C, and 5°C, respectively. Yet, blockade of endogenous H2S production by DL-propargylglycine or hydroxylamine (0.44 mmol/kg) partially reversed the decreased systemic conductance ( Gsys) exhibited by 5°C anoxic turtles. These findings suggest that the signal transduction pathway of H2S-mediated vasoactivity is either maximally activated in the systemic circulation of anoxic turtles and/or that it is oxygen dependent.

Hypoxia sensing in the fetal chicken femoral artery is mediated by the mitochondrial electron transport chain

Vascular hypoxia sensing is transduced into vasoconstriction in the pulmonary circulation, whereas systemic arteries dilate. Mitochondrial electron transport chain (mETC), reactive O(2) species (ROS), and K(+) channels have been implicated in the sensing/signaling mechanisms of hypoxic relaxation in mammalian systemic arteries. We aimed to investigate their putative roles in hypoxia-induced relaxation in fetal chicken (19 days of incubation) femoral arteries mounted in a wire myograph. Acute hypoxia (Po(2) approximately 2.5 kPa) relaxed the contraction induced by norepinephrine (1 microM). Hypoxia-induced relaxation was abolished or significantly reduced by the mETC inhibitors rotenone (complex I), myxothiazol and antimycin A (complex III), and NaN(3) (complex IV). The complex II inhibitor 3-nitroproprionic acid enhanced the hypoxic relaxation. In contrast, the relaxations mediated by acetylcholine, sodium nitroprusside, or forskolin were not affected by the mETC blockers. Hypoxia induced a slight increase in ROS production (as measured by 2,7-dichlorofluorescein-fluorescence), but hypoxia-induced relaxation was not affected by scavenging of superoxide (polyethylene glycol-superoxide dismutase) or H(2)O(2) (polyethylene glycol-catalase) or by NADPH-oxidase inhibition (apocynin). Also, the K(+) channel inhibitors tetraethylammonium (nonselective), diphenyl phosphine oxide-1 (voltage-gated K(+) channel 1.5), glibenclamide (ATP-sensitive K(+) channel), iberiotoxin (large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channel), and BaCl(2) (inward-rectifying K(+) channel), as well as ouabain (Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase inhibitor) did not affect hypoxia-induced relaxation. The relaxation was enhanced in the presence of the voltage-gated K(+) channel blocker 4-aminopyridine. In conclusion, our experiments suggest that the mETC plays a critical role in O(2) sensing in fetal chicken femoral arteries. In contrast, hypoxia-induced relaxation appears not to be mediated by ROS or K(+) channels.

AMP-activated protein kinase and the regulation of Ca2+ signalling in O2-sensing cells

All cells respond to metabolic stress. However, a variety of specialized cells, commonly referred to as O2-sensing cells, are acutely sensitive to relatively small changes in PO2. Within a variety of organisms such O2-sensing cells have evolved as vital homeostatic mechanisms that monitor O2 supply and alter respiratory and circulatory function, as well as the capacity of the blood to transport O2. Thereby, arterial PO2 may be maintained within physiological limits. In mammals, for example, two key tissues that contribute to this process are the pulmonary arteries and the carotid bodies. Constriction of pulmonary arteries by hypoxia optimizes ventilation-perfusion matching in the lung, whilst carotid body excitation by hypoxia initiates corrective changes in breathing patterns via increased sensory afferent discharge to the brain stem. Despite extensive investigation, the precise mechanism(s) by which hypoxia mediates these responses has remained elusive. It is clear, however, that hypoxia inhibits mitochondrial function in O2-sensing cells over a range of PO2 that has no such effect on other cell types. This raised the possibility that AMP-activated protein kinase might function to couple mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation to Ca2+ signalling mechanisms in O2-sensing cells and thereby underpin pulmonary artery constriction and carotid body excitation by hypoxia. Our recent investigations have provided significant evidence in support of this view.

Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction in reptiles: a comparative study of four species with different lung structures and pulmonary blood pressures

Low O2levels in the lungs of birds and mammals cause constriction of the pulmonary vasculature that elevates resistance to pulmonary blood flow and increases pulmonary blood pressure. This hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) diverts pulmonary blood flow from poorly ventilated and hypoxic areas of the lung to more well-ventilated parts and is considered important for the local matching of ventilation to blood perfusion. In the present study, the effects of acute hypoxia on pulmonary and systemic blood flows and pressures were measured in four species of anesthetized reptiles with diverse lung structures and heart morphologies: varanid lizards ( Varanus exanthematicus), caimans ( Caiman latirostris), rattlesnakes ( Crotalus durissus), and tegu lizards ( Tupinambis merianae). As previously shown in turtles, hypoxia causes a reversible constriction of the pulmonary vasculature in varanids and caimans, decreasing pulmonary vascular conductance by 37 and 31%, respectively. These three species possess complex multicameral lungs, and it is likely that HPV would aid to secure ventilation-perfusion homogeneity. There was no HPV in rattlesnakes, which have structurally simple lungs where local ventilation-perfusion inhomogeneities are less likely to occur. However, tegu lizards, which also have simple unicameral lungs, did exhibit HPV, decreasing pulmonary vascular conductance by 32%, albeit at a lower threshold than varanids and caimans (6.2 kPa oxygen in inspired air vs. 8.2 and 13.9 kPa, respectively). Although these observations suggest that HPV is more pronounced in species with complex lungs and functionally divided hearts, it is also clear that other components are involved.

The Multifunctional Fish Gill: Dominant Site of Gas Exchange, Osmoregulation, Acid-Base Regulation, and Excretion of Nitrogenous Waste

The fish gill is a multipurpose organ that, in addition to providing for aquatic gas exchange, plays dominant roles in osmotic and ionic regulation, acid-base regulation, and excretion of nitrogenous wastes. Thus, despite the fact that all fish groups have functional kidneys, the gill epithelium is the site of many processes that are mediated by renal epithelia in terrestrial vertebrates. Indeed, many of the pathways that mediate these processes in mammalian renal epithelial are expressed in the gill, and many of the extrinsic and intrinsic modulators of these processes are also found in fish endocrine tissues and the gill itself. The basic patterns of gill physiology were outlined over a half century ago, but modern immunological and molecular techniques are bringing new insights into this complicated system. Nevertheless, substantial questions about the evolution of these mechanisms and control remain.

Vertebrate phylogeny of hydrogen sulfide vasoactivity

Hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) is a recently identified endogenous vasodilator in mammals. In steelhead/rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Osteichthyes), H(2)S produces both dose-dependent dilation and a unique dose-dependent constriction. In this study, we examined H(2)S vasoactivity in all vertebrate classes to determine whether H(2)S is universally vasoactive and to identify phylogenetic and/or environmental trends. H(2)S was generated from NaHS and examined in unstimulated and precontracted systemic and, when applicable, pulmonary arteries (PA) from Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stouti, Agnatha), sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus, Agnatha), sandbar shark (Carcharhinus milberti, Chondrichthyes), marine toad (Bufo marinus, Amphibia), American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis, Reptilia), Pekin duck (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus, Aves), and white rat (Rattus rattus, Mammalia). In otherwise unstimulated vessels, NaHS produced 1) a dose-dependent relaxation in Pacific hagfish dorsal aorta; 2) a dose-dependent contraction in sea lamprey dorsal aorta, marine toad aorta, alligator aorta and PA, duck aorta, and rat thoracic aorta; 3) a threshold relaxation in shark ventral aorta, dorsal aorta, and afferent branchial artery; and 4) a multiphasic contraction-relaxation-contraction in the marine toad PA, duck PA, and rat PA. Precontraction of these vessels with another agonist did not affect the general pattern of NaHS vasoactivity with the exception of the rat aorta, where relaxation was now dominant. These results show that H(2)S is a phylogenetically ancient and versatile vasoregulatory molecule that appears to have been opportunistically engaged to suit both organ-specific and species-specific homeostatic requirements.

Intracellular and extracellular calcium utilization during hypoxic vasoconstriction of cyclostome aortas

Hypoxic vasoconstriction (HV) is an intrinsic response of mammalian pulmonary and cyclostome aortic vascular smooth muscle. The present study examined the utilization of calcium during HV in dorsal aortas (DA) from sea lamprey and New Zealand hagfish. HV was temporally correlated with increased free cytosolic calcium (Ca2+c) in lamprey DA. Extracellular calcium (Ca2+o) did not contribute significantly to HV in lamprey DA, but it accounted for 38.1 +/- 5.3% of HV in hagfish DA. Treatment of lamprey DA with ionomycin, ryanodine, or caffeine added to thapsigargin-reduced HV, whereas HV was augmented by BAY K 8644. Methoxyverapamil (D600) in zero Ca2+o did not affect HV in lamprey DA, nor did it prevent further constriction when Ca2+o was restored during hypoxia in hagfish DA. Removal of extracellular sodium (Na+o) caused a constriction in both species. Lamprey DA relaxed to prehypoxic tension following return to normoxia in zero Na+o, whereas relaxation was inhibited in hagfish DA. Relaxation following HV was inhibited in lamprey DA when Na+o and Ca2+o were removed. These results show that HV is correlated with [Ca2+]c in lamprey DA and that Na+/Ca2+ exchange is used during HV in hagfish but not lamprey DA. Multiple receptor types appear to mediate stored intracellular calcium release in lamprey DA, and L-type calcium channels do not contribute significantly to constriction in either cyclostome.