Dilation of rat diaphragmatic arterioles by flow and hypoxia: roles of nitric oxide and prostaglandins

1999 ◽  
Vol 86 (5) ◽  
pp. 1644-1650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. Ward

The in vitro responses to ACh, flow, and hypoxia were studied in arterioles isolated from the diaphragms of rats. The endothelium was removed in some vessels by low-pressure air perfusion. In endothelium-intact arterioles, pressurized to 70 mmHg in the absence of luminal flow, ACh (10−5 M) elicited dilation (from 103 ± 10 to 156 ± 13 μm). The response to ACh was eliminated by endothelial ablation and by the nitric oxide synthase antagonists N G-nitro-l-arginine (l-NNA; 10−5 M) and N G-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME, 10−5 M) but not by indomethacin (10−5 M). Increases in luminal flow (5–35 μl/min in 5 μl/min steps) at constant distending pressure (70 mmHg) elicited dilation (from 98 ± 8 to 159 ± 12 μm) in endothelium-intact arterioles. The response to flow was partially inhibited byl-NNA,l-NAME, and indomethacin and eliminated by endothelial ablation and by concurrent treatment withl-NAME and indomethacin. The response to hypoxia was determined by reducing the periarteriolar[Formula: see text] from 100 to 25–30 Torr by changing the composition of the gas used to bubble the superfusing solution. Hypoxia elicited dilation (from 110 ± 9 to 165 ± 12 μm) in endothelium-intact arterioles but not in arterioles from which the endothelium had been removed. Hypoxic vasodilation was eliminated by treatment with indomethacin and was not affected byl-NAME orl-NNA. In rat diaphragmatic arterioles, the response to ACh is dependent on endothelial nitric oxide release, whereas the response to hypoxia is mediated by endothelium-derived prostaglandins. Flow-dilation requires that both nitric oxide and cyclooxygenase pathways be intact.

2006 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. 348-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhonda D. Prisby ◽  
M. Keith Wilkerson ◽  
Elke M. Sokoya ◽  
Robert M. Bryan ◽  
Emily Wilson ◽  
...  

Cephalic elevations in arterial pressure associated with microgravity and prolonged bed rest alter cerebrovascular autoregulation in humans. Using the head-down tail-suspended (HDT) rat to chronically induce headward fluid shifts and elevate cerebral artery pressure, previous work has likewise shown cerebral perfusion to be diminished. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that 2 wk of HDT reduces cerebral artery vasodilation. To test this hypothesis, dose-response relations for endothelium-dependent (2-methylthioadenosine triphosphate and bradykinin) and endothelium-independent (nitroprusside) vasodilation were determined in vitro in middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) from HDT and control rats. All in vitro measurements were done in the presence and absence of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (10−5 M) and cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin (10−5 M). MCA caveolin-1 protein content was measured by immunoblot analysis. Endothelium-dependent vasodilation to 2-methylthioadenosine triphosphate and bradykinin were both lower in MCAs from HDT rats. These lower vasodilator responses were abolished with NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester but were unaffected by indomethacin. In addition, HDT was associated with lower levels of MCA caveolin-1 protein. Endothelium-independent vasodilation was not altered by HDT. These results indicate that chronic cephalic fluid shifts diminish endothelium-dependent vasodilation through alterations in the endothelial nitric oxide synthase signaling mechanism. Such decrements in endothelium-dependent vasodilation of cerebral arteries could contribute to the elevations in cerebral vascular resistance and reductions in cerebral perfusion that occur after conditions of simulated microgravity in HDT rats.


2005 ◽  
Vol 386 (3) ◽  
pp. 567-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunying LI ◽  
Wei HUANG ◽  
M. Brennan HARRIS ◽  
Jonathan M. GOOLSBY ◽  
Richard C. VENEMA

eNOS (endothelial nitric oxide synthase) catalyses the conversion of L-arginine into L-citrulline and NO. Evidence has been presented previously that eNOS is associated with the CAT (cationic amino acid transporter)-1 arginine transporter in endothelial caveolae, and it has been proposed that eNOS–CAT-1 association facilitates the delivery of extracellular L-arginine to eNOS. Definitive proof of a protein–protein interaction between eNOS and CAT-1 is lacking, however, and it is also unknown whether the two proteins interact directly or via an adaptor protein. In the present study, we raised a polyclonal antibody against CAT-1, and show using reciprocal co-immunoprecipitation protocols that eNOS and CAT-1 do indeed form a complex in BAECs (bovine aortic endothelial cells). In vitro binding assays with GST (glutathione S-transferase)–CAT-1 fusion proteins and eNOS show that the two proteins interact directly and that no single CAT-1 intracellular domain is sufficient to mediate the interaction. Overexpression of CAT-1 in BAECs by adenoviral-mediated gene transfer results in significant increases in both L-arginine uptake and NO production by the cells. However, whereas increased L-arginine transport is reversed completely by the CAT-1 inhibitor, L-lysine, increased NO release is unaltered, suggesting that NO production in this in vitro model is independent of CAT-1-mediated transport. Furthermore, eNOS enzymic activity is increased in lysates of CAT-1-overexpressing cells accompanied by increased phosphorylation of eNOS at Ser-1179 and Ser-635, and decreased association of eNOS with caveolin-1. Taken together, these data suggest that direct interaction of eNOS with CAT-1 enhances NO release by a mechanism not involving arginine transport.


2017 ◽  
Vol 312 (4) ◽  
pp. H854-H866 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaimit Parikh ◽  
Adam Kapela ◽  
Nikolaos M. Tsoukias

We used mathematical modeling to investigate nitric oxide (NO)-dependent vasodilatory signaling in the arteriolar wall. Detailed continuum cellular models of calcium (Ca2+) dynamics and membrane electrophysiology in smooth muscle and endothelial cells (EC) were coupled with models of NO signaling and biotransport in an arteriole. We used this theoretical approach to examine the role of endothelial hemoglobin-α (Hbα) as a modulator of NO-mediated myoendothelial feedback, as previously suggested in Straub et al. ( Nature 491: 473–477, 2012). The model considers enriched expression of inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptors (IP3Rs), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) enzyme, Ca2+-activated potassium (KCa) channels and Hbα in myoendothelial projections (MPs) between the two cell layers. The model suggests that NO-mediated myoendothelial feedback is plausible if a significant percentage of eNOS is localized within or near the myoendothelial projection. Model results show that the ability of Hbα to regulate the myoendothelial feedback is conditional to its colocalization with eNOS near MPs at concentrations in the high nanomolar range (>0.2 μM or 24,000 molecules). Simulations also show that the effect of Hbα observed in in vitro experimental studies may overestimate its contribution in vivo, in the presence of blood perfusion. Thus, additional experimentation is required to quantify the presence and spatial distribution of Hbα in the EC, as well as to test that the strong effect of Hbα on NO signaling seen in vitro, translates also into a physiologically relevant response in vivo. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Mathematical modeling shows that although regulation of nitric oxide signaling by hemoglobin-α (Hbα) is plausible, it is conditional to its presence in significant concentrations colocalized with endothelial nitric oxide synthase in myoendothelial projections. Additional experimentation is required to test that the strong effect of Hbα seen in vitro translates into a physiologically relevant response in vivo


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