We have investigated the role of endothelium-derived relaxing factor in modulating hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction by inhibiting its synthesis with the false substrate NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) in the isolated blood-perfused lungs of Wistar rats after chronic hypoxia (CH, fractional inspiratory O2 concentration 10%) for 15 h, 2 days, and 7 days. Lungs were perfused with blood of normal hematocrit at constant flow (18 ml/min) ventilated with 1) 95% air-5% CO2 (normoxia) and 2) 2% O2–5% CO2-93% N2 (hypoxia) and were studied in the absence and presence of L-NMMA (30 and 300 microM) or L-arginine (L-Arg, 1 and 6 mM) in separate groups. Pulmonary arterial pressure (Ppa) rose incrementally with hypoxic exposure (all P < 0.05 vs. normoxic control group). Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) was markedly reduced after 15 h and 2 days of CH: the mean increases in Ppa (delta Ppa) in hypoxia were 15.3, 3.5, 3.8, and 13.6 mmHg in control rats and rats exposed to 15 h (P < 0.05 vs. control and 7 days of CH), 2 days (P < 0.001 vs. control and 7 days of CH), and 7 days of CH, respectively. Ppa in control rats and rats exposed to 15 h, 2 days, and 7 days of CH were 137, 179, 184, and 166% of control, respectively, after 30 microM L-NMMA (all P < 0.05 when expressed as percent change vs. no L-NMMA). Similar augmentation in HPV was seen after 30 microM L-NMMA, with all hypoxic groups having a greater response than control groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Endogenous endothelium-derived relaxing factor opposes hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and supports blood flow to hypoxic alveoli in anesthetized rabbits.