Preservation of cGMP-induced relaxation of pulmonary veins of fetal lambs exposed to chronic high altitude hypoxia: role of PKG and Rho kinase.

The roles of Rho kinase (ROCK) and cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) in cGMP-mediated relaxation of fetal pulmonary veins exposed to chronic hypoxia (CH) were investigated. Fourth generation pulmonary veins were dissected from near-term fetuses ( approximately 140 days of gestation) delivered from ewes exposed to chronic high altitude hypoxia for approximately 110 days (CH) and from control ewes. After constriction with endothelin-1, 8-bromoguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cGMP) caused a similar relaxation of both control and CH vessels. Rp-8-Br-PET-cGMPS (a PKG inhibitor) inhibited whereas Y-27632 (a ROCK inhibitor) augmented relaxation of control veins to 8-Br-cGMP. These effects were significantly diminished in CH veins. PKG protein expression and activity were greater whereas ROCK protein expression and activity were less in CH vessels compared with controls. Phosphorylation of threonine 696 (ROCK substrate) and serine 695 (PKG substrate) of the regulatory myosin phosphatase targeting subunit MYPT1 of myosin light chain (MLC) phosphatase was stimulated to a lesser extent in CH than in control veins by endothelin-1 (ROCK stimulant) and 8-Br-cGMP (PKG stimulant), respectively. The phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of MLC caused by endothelin-1 and 8-Br-cGMP, respectively, were less in CH veins than in controls. These results suggest that CH in utero upregulates PKG activity but attenuates PKG action in fetal pulmonary veins. These effects are offset by the diminished ROCK action on MYPT1 and MLC and thus lead to an unaltered response to cGMP.