Cooling‐induced cutaneous vasodilatation is mediated by small‐conductance, calcium‐activated potassium channels in tail arteries from male mice

Cooling causes cutaneous dilatation to restrain cold‐induced constriction and prevent tissue injury. Cooling increases communication through myoendothelial gap junctions (MEGJs), thereby increasing endothelium‐derived hyperpolarization (EDH)‐type dilatation. EDH is initiated by calcium‐activated potassium channels (K(Ca)) activated by endothelial stimuli or muscle‐derived mediators traversing MEGJs (myoendothelial feedback). The goal of this study was to determine the individual roles of K(Ca) with small (SK3) and intermediate (IK1) conductance in cooling‐induced dilatation. Vasomotor responses of mice isolated cutaneous tail arteries were analyzed by pressure myography at 37°C and 28°C. Cooling increased acetylcholine‐induced EDH‐type dilatation during inhibition of NO and prostacyclin production. IK1 inhibition did not affect dilatations to acetylcholine, whereas SK3 inhibition inhibited dilatation at both temperatures. Cooling uncovered myoendothelial feedback to inhibit constrictions in U46619. IK1 inhibition did not affect U46619 constrictions, whereas SK3 inhibition abolished the inhibitory effect of cooling without affecting U46619 constriction at 37°C. Immunoblots confirmed SK3 expression, which was localized (immunofluorescence) to holes in the internal elastic lamina consistent with myoendothelial projections. Immunoblots and Immunofluorescence did not detect IK1. Studies in non‐cutaneous arteries have highlighted the predominant role of IK1 in EDH‐type dilatation. Cutaneous arteries are distinctly reliant on SK3, which may enable EDH‐type dilation to be amplified by cooling.