Figure 6:

Membrane potential, nitrendipine-mediated relaxation, intracellular Ca²⁺, and Ca²⁺-mediated contraction of arteries isolated from WT and G6PD^S188F rats. Membrane potential of (A) resting and (B) KCl-treated aorta was determined by the fluorescence (f₄₈₀/₅₂₀) of DiBAC₄(3). N= 5 WT and G6PD^S188F rats. (C) The effect of nitrendipine, a L-type Ca²⁺ channel blocker that inhibits channel activity at higher membrane potential, on aorta pre-contracted with KCl (30 mM). N= 5 WT and G6PD^S188F rats. (D) A representative confocal image of four experiments demonstrating intracellular Ca²⁺ determined by Fluro-4 (f_480/520) in aortic SMCs. Extracellular Ca²⁺-elicited contraction of aorta (E) and carotid artery (F) pre-contracted with KCl (30 mM) is shown. Aorta (N= 5 WT and 10 G6PD^S188F rats) and carotid artery (N= 5 WT and 9 G6PD^S188F rats).