title: Enhanced endothelial nitric oxide activity contributes to the reduced responsiveness of vascular alpha1-adrenoceptors following aortic barodenervation.
abstract: We have recently shown that short-term aortic barodenervation diminishes constrictor responses to activation of alpha1-adrenoceptors in rat aortic smooth muscle. This study investigated the potential role of vascular endothelium and its derived vasoactive substances, nitric oxide and prostaglandins, in the reduced alpha1-adrenoceptor responsiveness after aortic barodenervation. Exposure of isolated aortic rings from aortic barodenervated and sham-operated rats 48 h after surgery to cumulative addition of phenylephrine (alpha1-adrenoceptor agonist, 3 x 10(-8) - 1 X 10(-4) M) resulted in concentration-related contractions that were significantly (P < 0.05) smaller in rings of denervated rats. Removal of the endothelium increased phenylephrine-mediated contractions in rings obtained from aortic barodenervated rats to near sham-operated levels as demonstrated by the similar contractile responses and slopes of the regression lines of the concentration-response curves. Pretreatment with indomethacin (cyclooxygenase inhibitor, 1 x 10[-5] M) had no effect on contractile responses to phenylephrine in rings from both groups of rats. In contrast, N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, 3 x 10[-5] M) elevated basal vascular tone and significantly (P < 0.05) increased alpha1-adrenoceptor responsiveness, effects that were more evident in rings from denervated compared with sham-operated rats. N(G)-nitro-L-arginine produced significantly (P < 0.05) greater increases in the slopes of the regression lines (136.1 +/- 22% vs. 73.0 +/- 8.6% mg tension/mg tissue/log molar concentration) and maximum contractile response (Emax) to phenylephrine (161.2 +/- 8.2% vs. 76.7 +/- 6.1%) in rings from denervated compared with sham-operated rats suggesting an enhanced nitric oxide activity in aortas of denervated rats. This notion is further supported by the finding that cumulative i.v. administration of N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (1, 2, 4 and 8 mg/kg) elicited significantly (P < 0.05) greater pressor responses in conscious barodenervated compared with sham-operated rats. These results suggest that the endothelium plays a major role in the reduced constrictor responses to alpha1-adrenoceptor activation that occurs shortly after aortic barodenervation. This effect of the endothelium appears to involve, at least in part, enhancement of endothelial nitric oxide activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: El-Mas
authors.forename: T T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Daabees
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: El-Gowelli
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Abdel-Galil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D003714:Denervation; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D019335:Nitroarginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011311:Pressoreceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018340:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018340:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D010656:Phenylephrine; D019335:Nitroarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D007213:Indomethacin