title: Simulated microgravity upregulates an endothelial vasoconstrictor prostaglandin.
abstract: Endothelial nitric oxide contributes to the vascular hyporesponsiveness to norepinephrine (NE) observed in carotid arteries from rats exposed to simulated microgravity. The goal of the present study was to determine whether a cyclooxygenase product of arachidonic acid also influences vascular responsiveness in this setting. Microgravity was simulated in rats by hindlimb unweighting (HU). After 20 days of HU, carotid arteries were isolated from control and HU-treated rats, and vascular rings were mounted in tissue baths for the measurement of isometric contraction. Two cyclooxygenase inhibitors, indomethacin and ibuprofen, and the selective thromboxane A(2) prostanoid-receptor antagonist, SQ-29548, had no effect on the contraction to NE in control vessels but markedly reduced contraction to NE in HU vessels. When the endothelium was removed, indomethacin no longer had any effect on the NE-induced contraction in HU vessels. In endothelium-intact vessels in the presence of indomethacin, the addition of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, N(G)-L-nitro-arginine methyl ester, to the medium bathing HU vessels increased the contraction to NE to the level of that of the control vessels. These results indicate that HU treatment induced two endothelial changes in carotid artery that opposed each other. Nitric oxide activity was increased and was responsible for the vascular hyporesponsiveness to NE. The activity of a vasoconstrictor prostaglandin was also increased, and attenuated the vasodilating effect of nitric oxide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-4625, USA.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Sangha
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Purdy
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D019417:Hindlimb Suspension; D006834:Hydrazines / Q000494:pharmacology; D007052:Ibuprofen / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017482:Receptors, Thromboxane / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D013997:Time Factors; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018474:Weightlessness Simulation
chemical_list: D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D006834:Hydrazines; D017482:Receptors, Thromboxane; C045749:SQ 29548; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D007052:Ibuprofen; D009638:Norepinephrine; D007213:Indomethacin