scholarly journals Exogenous Ghrelin Attenuates the Progression of Chronic Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension in Conscious Rats

Endocrinology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 149 (1) ◽  
pp. 237-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daryl O. Schwenke ◽  
Takeshi Tokudome ◽  
Mikiyasu Shirai ◽  
Hiroshi Hosoda ◽  
Takeshi Horio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Pulmonary Hypertension ◽  
Right Ventricular ◽  
Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase ◽  
Ventricular Hypertrophy ◽  
Chronic Hypoxia ◽  
Right Ventricular Hypertrophy ◽  
Pulmonary Arterial ◽  
Oxide Synthase ◽  
Endothelial Nitric Oxide

Chronic exposure to hypoxia, a common adverse consequence of most pulmonary disorders, can lead to a sustained increase in pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), right ventricular hypertrophy, and is, therefore, closely associated with heart failure and increased mortality. Ghrelin, originally identified as an endogenous GH secretagogue, has recently been shown to possess potent vasodilator properties, likely involving modulation of the vascular endothelium and its associated vasoactive peptides. In this study we hypothesized that ghrelin would impede the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension during chronic hypoxia (CH). PAP was continuously measured using radiotelemetry, in conscious male Sprague Dawley rats, in normoxia and during 2-wk CH (10% O2). During this hypoxic period, rats received a daily sc injection of either saline or ghrelin (150 μg/kg). Subsequently, heart and lung samples were collected for morphological, histological, and molecular analyses. CH significantly elevated PAP in saline-treated rats, increased wall thickness of peripheral pulmonary arteries, and, consequently, induced right ventricular hypertrophy. In these rats, CH also led to the overexpression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase mRNA and protein, as well as endothelin-1 mRNA within the lung. Exogenous ghrelin administration attenuated the CH-induced overexpression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase mRNA and protein, as well as endothelin-1 mRNA. Consequently, ghrelin significantly attenuated the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension, pulmonary vascular remodeling, and right ventricular hypertrophy. These results demonstrate the therapeutic benefits of ghrelin for impeding the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular hypertrophy, particularly in subjects prone to CH (e.g. pulmonary disorders).

scholarly journals Antenatal BAY 41-2272 reduces pulmonary hypertension in the rabbit model of congenital diaphragmatic hernia

2016 ◽  
Vol 310 (7) ◽  
pp. L658-L669 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aline Vuckovic ◽  
Susanne Herber-Jonat ◽  
Andreas W. Flemmer ◽  
Brigitte Strizek ◽  
Alexander C. Engels ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Pulmonary Hypertension ◽  
Right Ventricular ◽  
Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase ◽  
Soluble Guanylate Cyclase ◽  
Capillary Density ◽  
Lung Mechanics ◽  
Ventricular Pressure ◽  
Oxide Synthase ◽  
Endothelial Nitric Oxide

Infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) fail to adapt at birth because of persistent pulmonary hypertension (PH), a condition characterized by excessive muscularization and abnormal vasoreactivity of pulmonary vessels. Activation of soluble guanylate cyclase by BAY 41-2272 prevents pulmonary vascular remodeling in neonatal rats with hypoxia-induced PH. By analogy, we hypothesized that prenatal administration of BAY 41-2272 would improve features of PH in the rabbit CDH model. Rabbit fetuses with surgically induced CDH at day 23 of gestation were randomized at day 28 for an intratracheal injection of BAY 41-2272 or vehicle. After term delivery (day 31), lung mechanics, right ventricular pressure, and serum NH2-terminal-pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were measured. After euthanasia, lungs were processed for biological or histological analyses. Compared with untouched fetuses, the surgical creation of CDH reduced the lung-to-body weight ratio, increased mean terminal bronchial density, and impaired lung mechanics. Typical characteristics of PH were found in the hypoplastic lungs, including increased right ventricular pressure, higher serum NT-proBNP levels, thickened adventitial and medial layers of pulmonary arteries, reduced capillary density, and lower levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase. A single antenatal instillation of BAY 41-2272 reduced mean right ventricular pressure and medial thickness of small resistive arteries in CDH fetuses. Capillary density, endothelial cell proliferation, and transcripts of endothelial nitric oxide synthase increased, whereas airway morphometry, lung growth, and mechanics remained unchanged. These results suggest that pharmacological activation of soluble guanylate cyclase may provide a new approach to the prenatal treatment of PH associated with CDH.

E-4010, a selective phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor, attenuates hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in rats

1999 ◽  
Vol 277 (2) ◽  
pp. L225-L232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norihisa Hanasato ◽  
Masahiko Oka ◽  
Masashi Muramatsu ◽  
Mayu Nishino ◽  
Hideyuki Adachi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Hypertension ◽  
Cardiac Output ◽  
Arterial Pressure ◽  
Right Ventricular ◽  
Ventricular Hypertrophy ◽  
Chronic Hypoxia ◽  
Systemic Arterial Pressure ◽  
Right Ventricular Hypertrophy ◽  
Pulmonary Arterial

The purpose of this study was to determine whether E-4010, a newly synthesized potent and selective orally active phosphodiesterase (PDE) 5 inhibitor, would prevent the development of chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats. In conscious, pulmonary hypertensive rats, a single oral administration of E-4010 (1.0 mg/kg) caused an acute, long-lasting reduction in mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), with no significant effects on systemic arterial pressure, cardiac output, and heart rate. In rats that received food containing 0.01 or 0.1% E-4010 during the 3-wk exposure to hypoxia, mean PAP was significantly decreased (mean PAP 24.0 ± 0.9, 16.2 ± 0.8, and 12.8 ± 0.5 mmHg in rats treated with 0, 0.01, and 0.1% E-4010-containing food, respectively), whereas mean systemic arterial pressure was unchanged and cardiac output was slightly increased compared with chronically hypoxic control rats. Right ventricular hypertrophy, medial wall thickness in pulmonary arteries corresponding to the respiratory and terminal bronchioles, and the degree of muscularization of more distal arteries were less severe in E-4010-treated rats. Long-term treatment with E-4010 caused an increase in cGMP levels in lung tissue and plasma but not in aortic tissue and no significant change in cAMP levels in either lung, aorta, or plasma. These results suggest that long-term oral treatment with E-4010 reduced the increase in PAP, right ventricular hypertrophy, and pulmonary arterial remodeling induced by exposure to chronic hypoxia, probably through increasing cGMP levels in the pulmonary vascular smooth muscle.

scholarly journals Chronic hypoxia induces right heart failure in caveolin-1−/− mice

2012 ◽  
Vol 302 (12) ◽  
pp. H2518-H2527 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Agustin Cruz ◽  
Eileen M. Bauer ◽  
Andres I. Rodriguez ◽  
Archana Gangopadhyay ◽  
Nabil S. Zeineh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Pulmonary Hypertension ◽  
Nitric Oxide Synthase ◽  
Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase ◽  
Chronic Hypoxia ◽  
Left Ventricular ◽  
Caveolin 1 ◽  
Oxide Synthase ◽  
Endothelial Nitric Oxide ◽  
Rv Function

Caveolin-1 (Cav-1)−/− mice develop mild pulmonary hypertension as they age. In this study, we sought to determine the effect of chronic hypoxia, an established model of pulmonary hypertension, on young Cav-1−/− mice with no measurable signs of pulmonary hypertension. Exposure of Cav-1−/− mice to chronic hypoxia resulted in an initial rise in right ventricular (RV) systolic pressure (RVSP) similar to wild-type (WT) mice. By three weeks RVSP decreased in the Cav-1−/− mice, whereas it was maintained in WT mice. The drop in RVSP in Cav-1−/− mice was accompanied by decreased cardiac output, increased RV hypertrophy, RV interstitial fibrosis, decreased RV sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase 2a mRNA and decreased RV function compared with WT mice. Importantly, minimal differences were noted in pulmonary vascular remodeling between WT and Cav-1−/− mice, and left ventricular function was normal in hypoxic Cav-1−/− mice. Mechanistically, increased endothelial nitric oxide synthase uncoupling and increased tyrosine nitration of protein kinase G were detected in the RV of Cav-1−/− mice. These hemodynamic, histological, and molecular changes were prevented in Cav-1−/− mice expressing an endothelial-specific Cav-1 transgene or by nitric oxide synthase inhibition. These data suggest that, in Cav-1−/− mice, increased oxidative/nitrosative stress due to endothelial nitric oxide synthase uncoupling modifies the response of the RV to pressure overload, accelerating the deterioration of RV function.

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