Endothelin-1, phorbol esters and phenylephrine stimulate MAP kinase activities in ventricular cardiomyocytes

ET-1 stimulated MBP kinase activity in cultured cardiomyocytes. Maximal activation (3.5-fold) was at 5 min. EC 50was 0.2 nM. PMA or PE also increased MBP kinase (4- or 2.5-fold, respectively). Pre-treatment with PMA down-regulated the subsequent response to ET-1 or PMA. ET-1- or PMA-stimulated MBP kinase was resolved into 2 major (peaks II and IV) and 2 minor peaks by FPLC on Mono Q. Peaks II and IV were inactivated by either LAR or PP2A. Renatured MBP kinase activities following SDS-PAGE in MBP-containing gels and immunoblot analysis showed that peak II was a p42 MAP kinase and peak IV was a p44 MAP kinase.