H ₂ O ₂ Is the Transferrable Factor Mediating Flow-Induced Dilation in Human Coronary Arterioles

RATIONALE: Endothelial derived hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) is a necessary component of the pathway regulating flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in human coronary arterioles (HCAs). However, H(2)O(2) has never been shown to be the endothelium-dependent transferrable hyperpolarization factor (EDHF) in response to shear stress. OBJECTIVE: We examined the hypothesis that H(2)O(2) serves as the EDHF in HCAs to shear stress. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two HCAs were cannulated in series (a donor intact vessel upstream and endothelium-denuded detector vessel downstream). Diameter changes to flow were examined in the absence and presence of polyethylene glycol catalase (PEG-CAT). The open state probability of large conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (BK(Ca)) channels in smooth muscle cells downstream from the perfusate from an endothelium-intact arteriole was examined by patch clamping. In some experiments, a cyanogen bromide-activated resin column bound with CAT was used to remove H(2)O(2) from the donor vessel. When flow proceeds from donor to detector, both vessels dilate (donor:68±7%; detector: 45±11%). With flow in the opposite direction, only the donor vessel dilates. PEG-CAT contacting only the detector vessel blocked FMD in that vessel (6±4%) but not in donor vessel (61±13%). Paxilline inhibited dilation of endothelium-denuded HCAs to H(2)O(2). Effluent from donor vessels elicited K(+) channel opening in an iberiotoxin- or PEG-CAT-sensitive fashion in cell-attached patches but had little effect on channel opening on inside-out patches. Vasodilation of detector vessels was diminished when exposed to effluent from CAT-column. CONCLUSIONS: Flow induced endothelial production of H(2)O(2), which acts as the transferrable EDHF activating BK(Ca) channels on the smooth muscle cells.