Inhibition of serine-threonine protein phosphatases decreases barrier function of rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells

The flux of multisized fluorescein-isothiocyanate-labeled hydroxy ethyl starch (FITC-HES) macromolecules was used to assess changes in barrier function of rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cell (RPMVEC) monolayers exposed to protein phosphatase (PP) inhibitors or cGMP analogs and atriopeptin (ANF). Two potent PP inhibitors, calyculin A (CalA) and okadaic acid (OA), increased RPMVEC permeability in a dose- and lime-dependent manner, and CalA had a higher intrinsic activity than OA. In contrast, ANF and potent cGMP analogs had no effect on basal RPMVEC permeability. The phosphohistone PP activity contained in RPMVEC sonicates was inhibited by OA with an inhibition profile that suggested at least two components were present, with PP2A accounting for similar to 70% of the OA-inhibitable phosphohistone phosphatase activity. Following separation with heparin-Sepharose chromatography, PP activity exhibited equipotent inhibition by CalA and differential inhibition by OA. Differential inhibition of PP1 and PP2A by OA suggested that PP1 is involved in regulating RPMVEC barrier function. Permeabilized RPMVEC showed increased phosphorylation of several proteins in the presence of phosphatase inhibitors. Treatment with KT 5926, a myosin light chain (MLC) kinase (MLCK) inhibitor, or rolipram, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, decreased P-32 incorporation into immunoprecipitated MLC by CalA and OA. However, this effect did not abolish either the CalA- or OA-induced decrease in the RPMVEC barrier function. Localization of filamentous (F) actin was at the periphery as well as in the cytoplasm and perinuclear region, whereas nonmuscle myosin was seen in the perinuclear region. Neither of these changed in the presence of CalA. Thus, cGMP does nor alter RPMVEC permeability, but inhibition of PP activity results in loss of barrier function by a mechanism independent from MLC phosphorylation. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.