title: Age-related changes in vascular reactivity in genetically diabetic rats.
abstract: A long-term study to identify age-dependent alterations in vascular reactivity in obese Zucker rats, a model for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, was carried out. On aortic rings of 12-week-old obese Zucker rats, but not in older animals (36 and 52 weeks), the following different effects in comparison to the lean rat control group were observed: (i) a significantly enhanced maximal relaxation to acetylcholine and A23187, which was abolished by the nitric oxide-synthase inhibitor L-nitro-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME); relaxation of aortic rings to the endothelium-independent vasodilator nitroglycerin was similar; (ii) more pronounced maximal 5-hydroxytryptamine-induced-contractions in the presence of L-NAME, and (iii) a more pronounced reduction in phenylephrine-induced contractions by verapamil. These results are suggestive of an altered calcium metabolism in the first weeks of development in the obese rat strain, which is probably responsible for the hypotension seen in this early time period.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sexl
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mancusi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Raberger
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schütz
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000001:Calcimycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000503:physiopathology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D009126:Muscle Relaxation; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011924:Rats, Zucker
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000001:Calcimycin; D001120:Arginine; D000109:Acetylcholine; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester