Irisin relaxes rat thoracic aorta: MEK1/2 signaling pathway, K-V channels, SKCa channels, and BKCa channels are involved in irisin-induced vasodilation

This study investigated the effects of irisin on vascular smooth muscle contractility in rat thoracic aorta, and the hypothesis that mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK1/2) signaling pathway, voltage-gated potassium (K-V) channels, small-conductance calcium-activated potassium (SKCa) channels, and large-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BKCa) channels may have roles in these effects. Isometric contraction-relaxation responses of isolated thoracic aorta rings were measured with an organ bath model. The steady contraction was induced with 10(-5) M phenylephrine (PHE), and then the concentration-dependent responses of irisin (10(-9) -10(-)(6) M) were examined in endothelium-intact and -denuded rat thoracic aortas. Also, the effects of irisin incubations on PHE-mediated contraction and acetylcholine (ACh) - mediated relaxation were studied. Irisin exerted the vasorelaxant effects in both endothelium-intact and -denuded aortic rings at concentrations of 10(-8), 10(-7). and 10(-6) M compared with the control groups (p < 0.001). Besides, pre-incubation of aortic rings with irisin (10 nM, 100 nM, or 1 mu M for 30 min) augmented ACh-mediated (10(-9)-10(-5)) vasodilation in PHE-precontracted thoracic aorta segments but did not modulate PHE-mediated (10(-5)-10(-5)) contraction. In addition, MEK1/2 inhibitor U0126, K-V channel blocker XE-991, SKCa channel blocker apamin, and BKCa channel blocker tetraethylammonium (TEA) incubations significantly inhibited the irisin-induced relaxation responses. In conclusion, the first physiological findings were obtained regarding the functional relaxing effects of irisin in rat thoracic aorta. The findings demonstrated that irisin induces relaxation responses in endothelium-intact and (or) endothelium-denuded aortic rings in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, this study is the first to report that irisin-induced relaxation responses are related to the activity of the MEK1/2 pathway, K-V channels, and calcium-activated K+ (SKCa and BKCa) channels.