Effects of alcohol on blood pressure and production of vascular aldosterone and corticosterone.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of this study were to search for the role of alcohol in blood pressure regulation in rats and to investigate the effects of alcohol on the production of vascular aldosterone and corticosterone.


METHODS
Male Wistar rats received alcohol 0.7 g x kg(-1) x day(-1) (alcohol-treated group 1) or 1.4 g x kg(-1) x day(-1) (alcohol-treated group 2) or 2.1 g x kg(-1) x day(-1) (alcohol-treated group 3), orally, for 3 months, and blood pressure was monitored by a pressure transducer. Systolic blood pressure increased in Wistar rats treated with alcohol compared to control rats. Mesenteric artery perfusion ex vivo was performed and pressor responses to norepinephrine were determined. The pressor responses to norepinephrine in mesenteric arteries treated with alcohol were significantly increased. The perfusate from the mesenteric arteries was collected and applied to a Sep-Pak C 18 cartridge column for reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and aldosterone and corticosterone levels were determined by radioimmunoassay, aldosterone was decreased but corticosterone was increased in the perfusate from arteries treated with alcohol.


RESULTS
Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction showed that alcohol inhibited the expression of 11beta-HSD2 and CYP11B2 mRNA in mesenteric arteries.


CONCLUSIONS
These results reveal that alcohol is able to induce hypertension and provide evidence that alcohol inhibits the transcriptions of both 11beta-HSD2 and CYP11B2 in the vasculature, leading to lower aldosterone and higher corticosterone production in vessels, and increased vasoconstrictor responses to norepinephrine.
Zhang
Y
Y
Department of Cardiology, 401th Hospital, Qingdao, People's Republic of China.
Sun
T
T
Jiang
F
F
Chu
L
L
Yu
W
W
Wei
L
L
Pang
J
J
Liu
Y
Y
Su
G
G
D043209:11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019405:Cytochrome P-450 CYP11B2 / Q000235:genetics; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006913:Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases / Q000235:genetics; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008638:Mesenteric Arteries / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D000431:Ethanol; D000450:Aldosterone; D006913:Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; D043209:11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2; D019405:Cytochrome P-450 CYP11B2; D003345:Corticosterone; D009638:Norepinephrine