title: Attenuation of contractile responses to sympathetic co-transmitters in veins from subjects with essential hypertension.
abstract: Neuropeptide Y (NPY), noradrenaline (NA) and ATP are cotransmitters of the sympathetic nervous system and exert vasocontractile effects. The aim of this study was to determine the role of these sympathetic co-transmitters in human hypertension. Subcutaneous vessels from 12 patients with essential hypertension and 12 matched controls were studied in vitro. Vascular contractile responses to NPY, NA, alpha,beta-methylene ATP (alpha,beta-mATP) and potassium were studied in isolated arteries and veins (diameter 0.1-1.1 mm) with intact endothelium. The dilatory effect of acetylcholine was used to test the endothelial function. There was no difference in potency (pD2) or contractile response to NPY, NA or alpha,beta-mATP between hypertensive and control arteries. In veins, however, the contractile response to NPY was significantly reduced in hypertensives and the responses to NA were unchanged. Furthermore, the sensitivity (pD2) to alpha,beta-mATP was significantly reduced in veins from hypertensives. There was no difference in the dilatory response to acetylcholine between the hypertensives and the controls, neither in the arteries nor in the veins, indicating that the observed changes in vascular reactivity to NPY, NA and alpha,beta-mATP were not endothelium-dependent. In conclusion, the postjunctional contractile effect of NPY and sensitivity (pD2) to alpha,beta-mATP, co-transmitters of the peripheral sympathetic nervous system, are attenuated in veins in essential hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Centre, Lund University, Sweden.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lind
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Erilnge
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brunkwall
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Edvinsson
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000494:pharmacology; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000097:blood*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism*; D014661:Vasoconstriction; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D014680:Veins / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D000109:Acetylcholine; C002630:alpha,beta-methyleneadenosine 5'-triphosphate; D009638:Norepinephrine