Increase in $Na^+-Ca^{2+}$ Exchange Activity in Sarcolemma Isolated from Mesenteric Arteries of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

$Na^+-Ca^{2+}$ exchange process in sarcolemmal vesicles isolated from mesenteric arteries of Wistar-Kyoto normotensive(WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR) was investigated. The sarcolemmal fractions isolated after homogenization and sucrose density gradient centrifugation were enriched with 5'-nucleotidase and ouabain sensitive, $K^+-dependent$ phosphatase activities. When the vesicles were loaded with $Na^+$, a time dependent $Ca^{2+}$ uptake was observed. However, very little $Ca^{2+}$ uptake was observed when the vesicles were loaded with $K^+$, or $Ca^{2+}$ uptake of the $Na^+-loaded$ vesicles was carried out in high sodium medium so that there was no sodium gradient. When the vesicles loaded with $Ca^{2+}$ by $Na^+-Ca^{2+}$ exchange were diluted into potassium medium containing EGTA, $Ca^{2+}$ was rapidly released from the vesicles. $Na^+-dependent\;Ca^{2+}$ uptake was increased in SHR compared to WKY, but passive efflux of preaccumulated $Ca^{2+}$ from the vesicles was decreased in SHR. The data indicate that the membrane vesicles of rat mesenteric arteries exhibit $Na^+-Ca^{2+}$ exchange activity. It is also suggested that changes of this process in vascular smooth muscle cell membrane of SHR may be involved in higher intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration and higher basal tone in SHR.