title: Calcium and the impairment of contractions to norepinephrine in aorta isolated from the spontaneously hypertensive rat.
abstract: Helical strip contractility from hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive (WKY) rat aortas assessed in the presence of varying calcium concentrations indicated that SHR strips exhibit a higher intrinsic myogenic tone and contract less to norepinephrine (NE) in a physiological calcium concentration compared to controls. Relatively higher isometric tension was developed in the SHR in low calcium (0-0. 27 mM). While control responses were blunted by LaCl3, EGTA, and nifedipine, the SHR strips were unaffected. Addition of procaine significantly enhanced SHR contractility to NE with no effect on control strips. These data suggest that abnormal cytosolic calcium provokes an increase in myogenic tone and an impaired contractile response of aortic smooth muscle cells to NE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48201.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grammas
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giacomelli
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bessert
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Diglio
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiener
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004533:Egtazic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D012964:Sodium / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004533:Egtazic Acid; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D012964:Sodium; D002118:Calcium; D009638:Norepinephrine