title: Protective role of heparin on in vitro functional aortic response in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits.
abstract: The effects of prolonged in vivo heparin treatment upon vasomotor responses and content of cholesterol and energy related compounds were studied in isolated thoracic and abdominal aortas from Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits. Unfractionated heparin was administered subcutaneously (2 mg/kg twice a day) to 3-month-old WHHL rabbits for a period of 6 months. A group of WHHL rabbits was treated with saline solution and considered as control. Aortic cholesterol infiltration and serum cholesterol were not significantly decreased by the prolonged heparin treatment. In heparin-treated WHHL rabbits, the in vitro aortic endothelium-dependent relaxation produced by acetylcholine or calcimycin (A 23187) was greater than in saline-treated WHHL group. ATP-induced aorta relaxation (endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent) did not vary significantly in the two groups of WHHL rabbits, even after mechanical removal of endothelium. Also the noradrenaline-induced aorta contraction did not vary between the two groups of WHHL rabbits. No significant variation in energy-related compounds (except for ADP) was found in the aortic arch. These results suggest that heparin produces a protective effect on aortic tissue by acting mainly at endothelial level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chinellato
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ragazzi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pandolfo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Froldi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bevilacqua
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prosdocimi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caparrotta
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fassina
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D006493:Heparin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011817:Rabbits; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D006493:Heparin; D002784:Cholesterol; D009638:Norepinephrine