scholarly journals The involvement of norepinephrine, neuropeptide Y, and nitric oxide in the cutaneous vasodilator response to local heating in humans

2008 ◽  
Vol 105 (1) ◽  
pp. 233-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary J. Hodges ◽  
Wojciech A. Kosiba ◽  
Kun Zhao ◽  
John M. Johnson

Presynaptic blockade of cutaneous vasoconstrictor nerves (VCN) abolishes the axon reflex (AR) during slow local heating (SLH) and reduces the vasodilator response. In a two-part study, forearm sites were instrumented with microdialysis fibers, local heaters, and laser-Doppler flow probes. Sites were locally heated from 33 to 40°C over 70 min. In part 1, we tested whether this effect of VCN acted via nitric oxide synthase (NOS). In five subjects, treatments were as follows: 1) untreated; 2) bretylium, preventing neurotransmitter release; 3) NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) to inhibit NOS; and 4) combined bretylium + l-NAME. At treated sites, the AR was absent, and there was an attenuation of the ultimate vasodilation ( P < 0.05), which was not different among those sites ( P > 0.05). In part 2, we tested whether norepinephrine and/or neuropeptide Y is involved in the cutaneous vasodilator response to SLH. In seven subjects, treatments were as follows: 1) untreated; 2) propranolol and yohimbine to antagonize α- and β-receptors; 3) BIBP-3226 to antagonize Y1 receptors; and 4) combined propranolol + yohimbine + BIBP-3226. Treatment with propranolol + yohimbine or BIBP-3226 significantly increased the temperature at which AR occurred ( n = 4) or abolished it ( n = 3). The combination treatment consistently eliminated it. Importantly, ultimate vasodilation with SLH at the treated sites was significantly ( P < 0.05) less than at the control. These data suggest that norepinephrine and neuropeptide Y are important in the initiation of the AR and for achieving a complete vasodilator response. Since VCN and NOS blockade in combination do not have an inhibition greater than either alone, these data suggest that VCN promote heat-induced vasodilation via a nitric oxide-dependent mechanism.

1995 ◽  
Vol 269 (1) ◽  
pp. H114-H120 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. G. Hudetz ◽  
J. J. Smith ◽  
J. G. Lee ◽  
Z. J. Bosnjak ◽  
J. P. Kampine

We investigated whether nitric oxide (NO) played a role in the generation of cerebrocortical flow oscillations and their modification by hypocapnia, hypercapnia, and halothane administration. Parietal cortical laser-Doppler flow (LDF) was monitored transcranially in anesthetized (barbiturate + 0-1.0% halothane), artificially ventilated, adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Thirty minutes after infusion of N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 20 mg/kg i.v.) mean arterial pressure (MAP) increased from 105 +/- 10 to 132 +/- 15 mmHg (P < 0.02), while mean LDF decreased from 159 +/- 36 to 135 +/- 30 perfusion units (PU, P < 0.05). Oscillations in LDF at a frequency of 6.3-7.8 cycles/min and amplitude of 10% were induced or augmented by L-NAME but not by D-NAME or indomethacin (2 mg/kg i.p.). L-arginine (200 mg/kg) abolished the oscillations post-L-NAME at constant MAP. Sodium nitroprusside infusion (10(-5) M, 5-50 microliters/min) reversed the L-NAME-induced increase in MAP and decrease in mean LDF but did not attenuate the flow oscillations. Hypocapnia post-L-NAME decreased LDF to 110 +/- 20 PU (P < 0.001) and augmented the flow oscillations (amplitude: 11-31%). Hypercapnia (5% CO2) or halothane (0.4-1.0%) suspended the oscillations in the presence of L-NAME. The results suggest that NO synthase activity inhibits cerebrocortical flow oscillations, and NO is not an obligatory mediator of the effects of halothane, hypocapnia, and hypercapnia on oscillatory activity.


2011 ◽  
Vol 301 (3) ◽  
pp. R763-R768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lacy A. Holowatz ◽  
W. Larry Kenney

Elevated low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are associated with cutaneous microvascular dysfunction partially mediated by increased arginase activity, which is decreased following a systemic atorvastatin therapy. We hypothesized that increased ascorbate-sensitive oxidant stress, partially mediated through uncoupled nitric oxide synthase (NOS) induced by upregulated arginase, contributes to cutaneous microvascular dysfunction in hypercholesterolemic (HC) humans. Four microdialysis fibers were placed in the skin of nine HC (LDL = 177 ± 6 mg/dl) men and women before and after 3 mo of a systemic atorvastatin intervention and at baseline in nine normocholesterolemic (NC) (LDL = 95 ± 4 mg/dl) subjects. Sites served as control, NOS inhibited, L-ascorbate, and arginase-inhibited+L-ascorbate. Skin blood flow was measured while local skin heating (42°C) induced NO-dependent vasodilation. After the established plateau in all sites, 20 mM ≪ngname≫ was infused to quantify NO-dependent vasodilation. Data were normalized to maximum cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) (sodium nitroprusside + 43°C). The plateau in vasodilation during local heating (HC: 78 ± 4 vs. NC: 96 ± 2% CVCmax, P < 0.01) and NO-dependent vasodilation (HC: 40 ± 4 vs. NC: 54 ± 4% CVCmax, P < 0.01) was reduced in the HC group. Acute L-ascorbate alone (91 ± 5% CVCmax, P < 0.001) or combined with arginase inhibition (96 ± 3% CVCmax, P < 0.001) augmented the plateau in vasodilation in the HC group but not the NC group (ascorbate: 96 ± 2; combo: 93 ± 4% CVCmax, both P > 0.05). After the atorvastatin intervention NO-dependent vasodilation was augmented in the HC group (HC postatorvastatin: 64 ± 4% CVCmax, P < 0.01), and there was no further effect of ascorbate alone (58 ± 4% CVCmax, P > 0.05) or combined with arginase inhibition (67 ± 4% CVCmax, P > 0.05). Increased ascorbate-sensitive oxidants contribute to hypercholesteromic associated cutaneous microvascular dysfunction which is partially reversed with atorvastatin therapy.


2000 ◽  
Vol 279 (5) ◽  
pp. C1495-C1505 ◽  
Author(s):  
George I. Gorodeski

Estrogen increases baseline transepithelial permeability across CaSki cultures and augments the increase in permeability in response to hypertonic gradients. In estrogen-treated cells, lowering cytosolic calcium abrogated the hypertonicity-induced augmented increase in permeability and decreased baseline permeability to a greater degree than in estrogen-deprived cells. Steady-state levels of cytosolic calcium in estrogen-deprived cells were higher than in estrogen-treated cells. Increases in extracellular calcium increased cytosolic calcium more in estrogen-deprived cells than in estrogen-treated cells. However, in estrogen-treated cells, increasing cytosolic calcium was associated with greater increases in permeability in response to hypertonic gradients than in estrogen-deprived cells. Lowering cytosolic calcium blocked the estrogen-induced increase in nitric oxide (NO) release and in the in vitro conversion of l-[3H]arginine to l-[3H]citrulline. Treatment with estrogen upregulated mRNA of the NO synthase isoform endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). These results indicate that cytosolic calcium mediates the responses to estrogen and suggest that the estrogen increase in permeability and the augmented increase in permeability in response to hypertonicity involve an increase in NO synthesis by upregulation of the calcium-dependent eNOS.


1993 ◽  
Vol 265 (4) ◽  
pp. L410-L415 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. M. Lilly ◽  
J. S. Stamler ◽  
B. Gaston ◽  
C. Meckel ◽  
J. Loscalzo ◽  
...  

The mechanism of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-induced pulmonary relaxation in tracheally perfused guinea pig lungs was defined with the use of inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and by direct measurement of nitric oxide (NO) equivalents recovered from lung perfusion fluid. Lungs treated with 200 microM NG-nitro-L-arginine were resistant to the relaxant effects of VIP in these lungs; the 50% inhibitory dose (ID50) for VIP was 32 nmol/kg (95% confidence interval, 16–79), which was approximately 100-fold greater than the ID50 of control lungs which was 0.39 nmol/kg, (0.16–0.79, P < 0.0001). This inhibitory effect could be overcome with excess L- but not D-arginine. In contrast, VIP-induced relaxation of isolated guinea pig trachea was not modified by inhibitors of NOS. To confirm that VIP infusion resulted in NO generation in whole lungs, we measured NO equivalents in lung effluent by two distinct technologies. We found that VIP injection caused a significant increase in NO equivalents from 0.11 +/- 0.04 microM to 0.78 +/- 0.15 microM (P < 0.05) and that this increase preceded VIP-induced pulmonary relaxation. Lungs pretreated with the putative guanylyl cyclase inhibitor methylene blue were less responsive to VIP [ID50 4.0 nmol/kg (1.5–10), P < 0.005 compared with control lungs], consistent with a physiologically significant guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate-dependent mechanism. Our data demonstrate that VIP has the capacity to relax whole lungs in part by stimulating the generation of NO.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document