Dapagliflozin induces vasodilation in resistance-size mesenteric arteries by stimulating smooth muscle cell KV7 ion channels

Dapagliflozin is a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor that, in addition to glucose reduction, lowers systemic blood pressure. Here, we investigated if dapagliflozin could directly relax small mesenteric arteries that control peripheral vascular resistance and blood pressure, and the underlying molecular mechanism. We used pressurized arterial myography, pharmacological inhibition and Western blotting to investigate the direct effect of dapagliflozin on the contractility of freshly isolated, resistance-size rat mesenteric arteries. Our pressure myography data unveiled that dapagliflozin relaxed small mesenteric arteries in a concentration-dependent manner. Non-selective inhibition of KV channels and selective inhibition of smooth muscle cell voltage-gated K+ channels KV7 attenuated dapagliflozin-induced vasorelaxation. Inhibition of other major KV isoforms such as KV1.3, KV1.5 channels as well as large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BKCa) channels, ATP-sensitive (KATP) channels did not abolish vasodilation. Dapagliflozin-evoked vasodilation remained unaltered by pharmacological inhibition of endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) signaling, prostacyclin (PGI2), as well as by endothelium denudation. Our Western blotting data revealed that SGLT2 protein is expressed in rat mesenteric arteries. However, non-selective inhibition of SGLTs did not induce vasodilation, demonstrating that the vasodilatory action is independent of SGLT2 inhibition. Overall, our data suggests that dapagliflozin directly and selectively stimulates arterial smooth muscle cells KV7 channels, leading to vasodilation in resistance-size mesenteric arteries. These findings are significant as it uncovers for the first time a direct vasodilatory action of dapagliflozin in resistance mesenteric arteries, which may lower systemic blood pressure. Dapagliflozin; Vascular resistance; Mesenteric arteries; Vasodilation; Voltage-gated K+ channels