Chronic hypoxia enhances 15-lipoxygenase-mediated vasorelaxation in rabbit arteries

15-Lipoxygenase (15-LO-1) metabolizes arachidonic acid (AA) to 11,12,15-trihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids (THETAs) and 15-hydroxy-11,12-epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (HEETA) that dilate rabbit arteries. Increased endothelial 15-LO-1 expression enhances arterial relaxations to agonists. We tested the effect of hypoxia on 15-LO-1 expression, THETA and HEETA synthesis, and relaxations in rabbit arteries. The incubation of rabbit aortic endothelial cells and isolated aortas in 0.7% O2 increased 15-LO-1 expression. Rabbits were housed in a hypoxic atmosphere of 12% O2 for 5 days. 15-LO-1 expression increased in the endothelium of the arteries of rabbits in 12% O2 compared with room air. THETA and HEETA synthesis was also enhanced in aortas and mesenteric arteries. AA hyperpolarized the smooth muscle cells in indomethacin- and phenylephrine-treated mesenteric arteries of hypoxic rabbits from −29.4 ± 1 to −50.1 ± 3 mV. The hyperpolarization to AA was less in arteries of normoxic rabbits (from −26.0 ± 2 to −37 ± 2 mV). This AA-induced hyperpolarization was inhibited by the 15-LO inhibitor BW-755C. Nitric oxide and prostaglandin-independent maximum relaxations to acetylcholine (79.7 ± 2%) and AA (38.3 ± 4%) were enhanced in mesenteric arteries from hypoxic rabbits compared with the normoxic rabbits (49.7 ± 6% and 19.9 ± 2%, respectively). These relaxations were inhibited by BW-755C and nordihydroguaiaretic acid. Therefore, hypoxia increased the relaxations to agonists in the rabbit mesenteric arteries by enhancing endothelial 15-LO-1 expression and synthesis of the hyperpolarizing factors THETA and HEETA.

Endothelium-independent vascular relaxation mediating ETB receptor in rabbit mesenteric arteries

Vascular response mediating endothelin (ET)Breceptor was studied using isolated rabbit mesenteric arteries. ET-1 (0.1–30 nM) caused a concentration-dependent contraction, whereas ET-3 >100 nM caused only weak contraction. Up to 1 μM of sarafotoxin S6c showed no contraction. In arteries precontracted with phenylephrine, ET-3 (0.03–1 nM) caused a concentration-dependent relaxation, which was not affected by endothelium denudation. The ET-3-induced relaxation was antagonized by BQ-788 and PD-142893 but not by BQ-123 in the endothelium-denuded arteries. Treatment with indomethacin but not with N G-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester completely inhibited the relaxation. ET-3 stimulated the release of 6-keto-PGF1α and PGE2 from the endothelium-denuded arteries. ET-3 also significantly increased cAMP content but not cGMP content in the arteries. Radioligand-binding studies using serial sections of the artery revealed the expression of not only ETA but also ETB receptors in the smooth muscle layer of the arteries. These results suggest that ET-3 activates ETB receptor in smooth muscle cells of rabbit mesenteric artery, producing vasodilator prostaglandins from arachidonic acid probably via a catalysis of cyclooxygenase, which accumulates cAMP in subendothelial tissues and produces relaxations.