Hypoxia triggers pulmonary vasoconstriction, however induces relaxation of systemic arteries such as femoral arteries. Mitochondria are functionally and structurally heterogeneous between different cell types. The aim of this study was to reveal whether mitochondrial heterogeneity controls the distinct responses of pulmonary versus systemic artery smooth muscle cells to hypoxia. Intact mitochondria were transplanted into Sprague-Dawley rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells in culture and pulmonary arteries in vitro. Mitochondria retained functional after transplantation. The cross transplantation of mitochondria between pulmonary and femoral artery smooth muscle cells reversed acute hypoxia-induced alterations in cell membrane potential, [Ca2+]i signaling in smooth muscle cells and constriction or relaxation of arteries. Furthermore, the high or low amount of reactive oxygen species generation from mitochondria and their divergent (dis-)abilities in activating extracellular Ca2+-sensing receptor in smooth muscle cells were found to cause cell membrane potential depolarization, [Ca2+]i elevation and constriction of pulmonary arteries versus cell membrane potential hyperpolarization, [Ca2+]i decline and relaxation of femoral arteries in response to hypoxia, respectively. Our findings suggest that mitochondria necessarily determine the behaviors of vascular smooth muscle cells in response to hypoxia.
Keywords: calcium signaling; hypoxia; mitochondria; pulmonary vasoconstriction; reactive oxygen species.