Voltage-dependent potassium (K(v)) channels are present in various cell types, including smooth muscle cells (myocytes) of resistance-sized arteries that control systemic blood pressure and regional organ blood flow. Intravascular pressure depolarizes arterial myocytes, stimulating calcium (Ca(2+)) influx through voltage-dependent Ca(2+) (Ca(v)) channels that results in vasoconstriction and also K(+) efflux through K(v) channels that oppose vasoconstriction. We hypothesized that pressure-induced depolarization may not only increase the open probability of plasma membrane-resident K(v) channels but also increase the abundance of these channels at the surface of arterial myocytes to limit vasoconstriction. We found that K(v)1.5 and K(v)2.1 proteins were abundant in the myocytes of resistance-sized mesenteric arteries. K(v)1.5, but not K(v)2.1, continuously recycled between the intracellular compartment and the plasma membrane in contractile arterial myocytes. Using ex vivo preparations of intact arteries, we showed that physiological intravascular pressure through membrane depolarization or membrane depolarization in the absence of pressure inhibited the degradation of internalized K(v)1.5 and increased recycling of K(v)1.5 to the plasma membrane. Accordingly, by stimulating the activity of Ca(v)1.2, membrane depolarization increased whole-cell K(v)1.5 current density in myocytes and K(v)1.5 channel activity in pressurized arteries. In contrast, the total amount and cell surface abundance of K(v)2.1 were independent of intravascular pressure or membrane potential. Thus, our data indicate that intravascular pressure-induced membrane depolarization selectively increased K(v)1.5 surface abundance to increase K(v) currents in arterial myocytes, which would limit vasoconstriction.
