title: Participation of endothelium-derived relaxing factor and role of cyclic GMP in inhibitory effects of endothelium on contractile responses elicited by alpha-adrenoceptor agonists in rat aorta.
abstract: The participation of NO production and the role of cyclic GMP in inhibitory function of endothelium were investigated in rat aortic rings exposed to alpha-adrenoceptor agonists. Both endothelium and 8-Br cyclic GMP (in endothelium-denuded rings) depressed more markedly not only maximal contractions but also equipotent contractions elicited by two partial agonists (indanidine and B-HT 920) than responses to the full agonist phenylephrine. The influence of endothelium on maximal responses to the three agonists was abolished by both the nitric oxide (NO)-synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME, 30 microM) and by the guanylate cyclase inhibitor methylene blue (methylene blue, 0.3 and 1 microM). Both endothelium and 8-Br cyclic GMP (in endothelium-denuded rings) increased the EC50 value of phenylephrine. This effect was more pronounced in the case of endothelium (10-fold), however, than in the case of 8-Br cyclic GMP (fourfold at 30 microM), and the rightward shift produced by endothelium remained significant (twofold) in the presence of L-NAME or methylene blue. In addition, the effect of 8-Br cyclic GMP on phenylephrine-induced contractions was considerably enhanced in the presence of endothelium or after partial alkylation of receptors by phenoxybenzamine in endothelium-denuded rings. These results indicate that the L-arginine-NO-cyclic GMP pathway accounts for most of the inhibitory influence of endothelium on alpha-adrenergic responses in aortic rings. They indicate differential effects of cyclic GMP depending on the agonist and show that 8-Br cyclic GMP does not impair the basal inhibitory effect of endothelium on aortic contraction to alpha-adrenergic agonists.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Topouzis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schott
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Stoclet
mesh_terms: D015124:8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D001381:Azepines / Q000494:pharmacology; D003000:Clonidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects*; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D001381:Azepines; D010656:Phenylephrine; D015124:8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate; C016276:8-bromocyclic GMP; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C024763:talipexole; D001120:Arginine; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D003000:Clonidine; C034204:indanidine; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester