Contraction and endothelium-dependent relaxation in mesenteric microvessels from pregnant rats

1995 ◽  
Vol 269 (6) ◽  
pp. H1899-H1904 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. F. Pascoal ◽  
M. D. Lindheimer ◽  
C. Nalbantian-Brandt ◽  
J. G. Umans

We assessed KCl- and phenylephrine (PE)-induced vasoconstriction as well as acetylcholine (ACh)-induced endothelium-dependent vasodilation in small, isometrically mounted mesenteric arteries from virgin and gravid rats, studied in the absence and presence of NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA). Neither maximal vasoconstriction nor PE potency differed significantly between vessels from virgin and pregnant rats, either in the absence or presence of L-NNA. L-NNA resulted in similar twofold leftward shifts in the PE dose-response curves for both groups. ACh-induced relaxation was potentiated in vessels from gravid rats (half-maximum effective concentration = 0.25 vs. 0.04 microM, virgin and gravid rats, respectively). After L-NNA, maximal relaxation was inhibited significantly more in vessels from gravid rats (62 vs. 31%). Likewise, maximal slope of ACh dose-response curves and ACh potency were decreased in this group so that values no longer differed from those in virgins. We conclude that pregnancy does not alter basal nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in these isolated microvessels, but it does enhance ACh-induced NO release, while apparently inhibiting the action of a NO-independent, endothelium-derived vasodilator.

2016 ◽  
Vol 120 (7) ◽  
pp. 784-791 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Mazur ◽  
Kate Lambrechts ◽  
Qiong Wang ◽  
Marc Belhomme ◽  
Michael Theron ◽  
...  

Studies conducted in divers indicate that endothelium function is impaired following a dive even without decompression sickness (DCS). Our previous experiment conducted on rat isolated vessels showed no differences in endothelium-dependent vasodilation after a simulated dive even in the presence of DCS, while contractile response to phenylephrine was progressively impaired with increased decompression stress. This study aimed to further investigate the effect of DCS on vascular smooth muscle. Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were submitted to the same hyperbaric protocol and classified according to the severity of DCS: no-DCS (without clinical symptoms), mild-DCS, or severe-DCS (dead within 1 h). A control group remained at atmospheric pressure. Isometric tension was measured in rings of abdominal aorta and mesenteric arteries. Single dose contraction was assessed with KCl solution. Dose-response curves were obtained with phenylephrine and endothelin-1. Phenylephrine-induced contraction was observed in the presence of antioxidant tempol. Additionally, plasma concentrations of angiotensin II, angiotensin-converting enzyme, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were assessed. Response to phenylephrine was impaired only among mild-DCS in both vessels. Dose-response curves to endothelin-1 were impaired after mild-DCS in mesenteric and severe-DCS in aorta. KCl-induced contraction was affected after hyperbaric exposure regardless of DCS status in aorta only. These results confirm postdive vascular dysfunction is dependent on the type of vessel. It further evidenced that vascular dysfunction is triggered by DCS rather than by diving itself and suggest the influence of circulating factor/s. Diving-induced impairment of the L-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels and/or influence of renin-angiotensin system is proposed.


1986 ◽  
Vol 250 (4) ◽  
pp. R589-R594 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. G. Kristensen ◽  
Y. Nakagawa ◽  
F. L. Coe ◽  
M. D. Lindheimer

Protocols were designed to 1) identify atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) bioactivity in pregnant rats, 2) compare ANF activity in atria from gravid and virgin Sprague-Dawley animals, and 3) assess renal and vascular responsiveness to ANF during gestation. Similar quantities of ANF were extracted from atria of term gravid and age-matched controls (assayed as the natriuretic response in awake virgins). We then purified by high-performance liquid chromatography a peptide identical to the synthetic 23 amino acid atriopeptin II (AP II). With equimolar injections of ANF, gravid rats had a blunted natriuretic response (P less than 0.05). However, when dose was based on estimated extracellular volume, awake virgin and pregnant animals displayed similar highly significant dose-response curves to infused AP II (R's 0.8). When hydropenic rats were assayed, both gravid and virgins required 10 times more ANF to initiate a diuresis; dose-response curves again being similar and highly significant. Decrements in blood pressure were also similar in pregnant and nongravid animals. Thus, despite an increased intravascular volume of 70% during gestation, cardiac content of ANF and the renal and vascular responsiveness to this peptide are similar to those in virgin rats, suggesting resetting of ANF-volume relationships during pregnancy.


1997 ◽  
Vol 272 (1) ◽  
pp. H12-H16 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. V. Rendig ◽  
S. Gray ◽  
E. A. Amsterdam

The comparative effects of the complement component C5a on coronary resistance and conductance arteries have not been evaluated. To clarify the coronary contractile actions of this anaphylatoxin, we studied the effects of C5a on development of isometric tension in isolated porcine coronary conductance and resistance arteries. Internal diameters of conductance and resistance vessels were 367 +/- 21 and 88 +/- 4 microns, respectively. Vessel ring segments were suspended in a microvessel myograph, stretched to the peaks of their length-tension curves, and precontracted with 30 mM K+ physiological salt solution. Dose-response curves to C5a (2, 10, and 50 nM) were obtained. At 50 nM, the C5a-induced increase in tension in resistance arteries (4.1 +/- 0.9 to 5.7 +/- 1.4 mN, 35.8 +/- 3.4%) was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than in conductance arteries (10.7 +/- 2.2 to 12.4 +/- 2.6 mN, 15.6 +/- 3.0%). A specific thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist, SQ-29548, virtually eliminated C5a-induced increases in tension. C5a did not impair endothelium-dependent relaxation in either conductance or resistance vessels, as indicated by the half-maximal effective dose (ED50) calculated from bradykinin dose-response curves before and after exposure of the vessels to 50 nM C5a (resistance: pre-C5a ED50 = 2 nM, post-C5a ED50 +/- 3 nM; conductance: pre-C5a ED50 +/- 13 nM, post-C5a ED50 +/- 14 nM). These results indicate that 1) C5a has a greater vasoconstrictive effect on isolated porcine resistance than conductance coronary arteries; 2) C5a-induced coronary constriction is mediated by thromboxane A2; and 3) C5a does not impair endothelium-dependent relaxation of isolated porcine coronary arteries.


2014 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 739-743 ◽  
Author(s):  
FA Moraga ◽  
N Urriola-Urriola

Preliminary studies showed that dorsal artery contraction mediated by acetylcholine (ACh) is blocked with indomethacin in intertidal fish (Girella laevifrons). Our objective was to characterise the cholinergic pathway in several artery vessels of the G. laevifrons. Afferent and efferent branchial, dorsal and mesenteric arteries were dissected of 6 juvenile specimens, isometric tension studies were done using dose response curves (DRC) for Ach (10–13 to 10–3 M), and cholinergic pathways were obtained by blocking with atropine or indomethacin. CRC to ACh showed a pattern of high and low sensitivity. Furthermore, these contractions were blocked in the presence of atropine and indomethacin in all vessels. Our results suggest that contraction observed with acetylcholine is mediated by receptors that activate a cyclooxygenase contraction pathway.


1974 ◽  
Vol 32 (02/03) ◽  
pp. 356-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
F Haverkate ◽  
D. W Traas

SummaryIn the fibrin plate assay different types of relationships between the dose of applied proteolytic enzyme and the response have been previously reported. This study was undertaken to determine whether a generally valid relationship might exist.Trypsin, chymotrypsin, papain, the plasminogen activator urokinase and all of the microbial proteases investigated, including brinase gave a linear relationship between the logarithm of the enzyme concentration and the diameter of the circular lysed zone. A similar linearity of dose-response curves has frequently been found by investigators who used enzyme plate assays with substrates different from fibrin incorporated in an agar gel. Consequently, it seems that this linearity of dose-response curves is generally valid for the fibrin plate assay as well as for other enzyme plate bioassays.Both human plasmin and porcine tissue activator of plasminogen showed deviations from linearity of semi-logarithmic dose-response curves in the fibrin plate assay.


1962 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Henriques

ABSTRACT A bioassay of thyroid hormone has been developed using Xenopus larvae made hypothyroid by the administration of thiourea. Only tadpoles of uniform developmental rate were used. Thiourea was given just before the metamorphotic climax in concentrations that produced neoteni in an early metamorphotic stage. During maintained thiourea neotoni, 1-thyroxine and 1-triiodothyronine were added as sodium salts to the water for three days and at the end of one week the stage of metamorphosis produced was determined. In this way identical dose-response curves were obtained for the two compounds. No qualitative differences between their effects were noted except that triiodothyronine seemed more toxic than thyroxine in equivalent doses. Triiodothyronine was found to be 7–12 times as active as thyroxine.


2005 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. E269-E274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sydney L. Gaynor ◽  
Gregory D. Byrd ◽  
Michael D. Diodato ◽  
Yosuke Ishii ◽  
Anson M. Lee ◽  
...  

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quinton J. Nottingham ◽  
Jeffrey B. Birch ◽  
Barry A. Bodt

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 181-188
Author(s):  
Peter Bracke ◽  
Eowyn Van de Putte ◽  
Wouter R. Ryckaert

Dose-response curves for circadian phase shift and melatonin suppression in relation to white or monochromatic nighttime illumination can be scaled to melanopic weighed illumination for normally constricted pupils, which makes them easier to interpret and compare. This is helpful for a practical applications.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian G. Vegetabile ◽  
Beth Ann Griffin ◽  
Donna L. Coffman ◽  
Matthew Cefalu ◽  
Michael W. Robbins ◽  
...  

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