title: Effect of mild hypothermia on the vascular actions of phenylephrine in rat aortic rings.
abstract: Intraoperative mild hypothermia is common. We have investigated the effects of mild hypothermia (34 vs 38 degrees C) on phenylephrine--(10(-8) to 10(-5) mol litre-1) induced contractions of rat aortic rings mounted for isometric tension recordings. A marked decrease in Emax (maximal tension) (P < 0.05) and significant increase in EC50 (phenylephrine concentration producing 50% of maximal tension) were observed at the lower temperature in endothelium intact rings, but there was no effect of temperature when the endothelium had been removed. The decreased contraction with hypothermia in the endothelium intact vessels was restored to 84% by administration of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NNA and a small additional amount of tone was restored in the presence of the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin. We conclude that mild hypothermia markedly decreased phenylephrine-induced rat aortic contraction in vitro by endothelium dependent mechanisms, largely related to increased nitric oxide production or action.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lagneau
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kirstetter
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marty
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D019335:Nitroarginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D010656:Phenylephrine; D019335:Nitroarginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D007213:Indomethacin