title: Effects of Ba(2+) on norepinephrine-induced contraction of rat thoracic aorta in vitro.
abstract: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of exogenously applied BaCl(2) on the norepinephrine-induced contraction of the rat thoracic aorta. Exogenously applied BaCl(2) (0.3-1 mmol/l) slightly elevated the norepinephrine-induced sustained contraction of the rat thoracic aorta in the absence of nicardipine (1 micromol/l). In the aortic preparation pretreated with nicardipine (1 micromol/l), exogenous BaCl(2) (0.1-3 mmol/l) did not elevate the norepinephrine-induced sustained contraction, but the high concentration of BaCl(2) (10 mmol/l) slightly inhibited the norepinephrine-induced tone. In a Ca(2+)-free Krebs bi- carbonate solution (KBS) containing norepinephrine (1 micromol/l) or a Ca(2+)-free K(+)-rich (60 mmol/l) KBS, exogenously applied BaCl(2) (1-30 mmol/l) caused a sustained contraction of the rat thoracic aorta, and this sustained contraction was completely inhibited by nicardipine (1 micromol/l). Exogenous CaCl(2) (0.1-3 mmol/l) also caused a sustained contraction of the aortic preparation in a Ca(2+)- free KBS containing norephinephrine (1 micromol/l), but such a sustained contraction was partly inhibited by nicardipine (3 micromol/l). These results indicate that Ba(2+) elevates the norepinephrine-induced tone of the rat isolated thoracic aorta by permeating voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels in the absence of nicardipine, but that Ba(2+) has a minor modification on the norepinephrine-induced sustained contraction of the nicardipine-pretreated preparation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology I, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitajima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kamikawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001464:Barium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D001464:Barium; D009638:Norepinephrine