title: Nitric oxide and vascular reactivity in developing zebrafish, Danio rerio.
abstract: We used a newly developed digital motion analysis video technique to study the effects of nitric oxide (NO) and epinephrine on the early larval arterial and venous vasculature of zebrafish. Application of the NO donor sodium nitroprusside resulted in a significant increase in both the venous and arterial vessel diameters, whereas N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester caused a significant decrease in the same diameters. Thus our results show that both the venous and arterial vasculature of the 5- and 6-day-old zebrafish larvae are influenced by endogenously produced NO. By use of immunohistochemistry, NO synthase immunoreactivity was demonstrated in endothelial cells of the dorsal vein. Local application of epinephrine onto the dorsal artery had no effect on vessel diameter. However, if the embryos were preincubated with N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, addition of epinephrine resulted in a significant reduction in both arterial and venous vessel diameters. Thus this study provides increasing evidence that before a functional autonomic innervation of the peripheral vascular system, vascular tone in larval tissue is regulated by a complex interaction of vasoactive substances that are produced locally by vascular endothelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoophysiology, University of Göteborg, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden. R.Fritsche@zool.gu.se
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fritsche
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schwerte
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pelster
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002302:Cardiac Output; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D007814:Larva; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects; D014680:Veins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014741:Video Recording; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D009599:Nitroprusside; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D004837:Epinephrine