Effect of a cholesterol-rich diet on the excitability of rabbit aorta.
The level of plasma total cholesterol in rabbits after 8-week feeding on a cholesterol-rich diet was raised significantly. The excitability of the rabbit aorta in response to the depolarizing agent KCl was enhanced, demonstrating an increased sensitivity to KCl stimulation as well as an increase of the KCl-induced maximum tension. It is speculated that 7 weeks of hypercholesterol state may vary the membrane lipid composition, enhancing the aortic excitability in response to depolarizing agent.
Department of Pharmacology, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
K K
KK
Wong
D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D011817:Rabbits; D012016:Reference Values
D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D002784:Cholesterol