Endothelin-1 blockade prevents COX2 induction and TXA2 production in the fructose hypertensive ratThis paper is one of a selection of papers published in this Special Issue, entitled The Cellular and Molecular Basis of Cardiovascular Dysfunction, Dhalla 70th Birthday Tribute.

Feeding rats with a high fructose diet results in insulin resistance and hypertension. Fructose-hypertensive rats (FHR) have increased vascular levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and thromboxane (TXA2). We have previously shown that chronic treatment with either the dual endothelin receptor blocker, bosentan, or the thromboxane synthase inhibitor, dazmegrel, prevented fructose-induced increases in blood pressure, suggesting that both ET-1 and TXA2 play important roles in the development of hyperinsulinemia/insulin resistance-associated hypertension. In this study, we investigated the potential interrelationship between ET-1 and TXA2 in the development of fructose-induced hypertension in vivo. Male Wistar rats were fed on a high fructose diet for 9 weeks. Either bosentan or dazmegrel treatment (daily by oral gavage) was initiated 3 weeks after the start of fructose feeding for a total duration of 6 weeks. At the end of drug treatment, blood and aorta were collected from each animal. Plasma thromboxane B2 (TXB2), a stable TXA2 metabolite, increased significantly in FHR and was reduced to control level by both chronic bosentan and dazmegrel treatment. Protein expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) was elevated significantly in FHR aortas and treatment with bosentan and dazmegrel corrected these changes. These results indicate that the actions of ET-1 in the aorta of FHR may be mediated through COX2-derived TXA2. Bosentan may prevent the development of hypertension in fructose-fed rats through inhibition of COX2 induction and subsequently the reduction in plasma TXA2.