title: Modulation of vascular tone and reactivity by nitric oxide in porcine pulmonary arteries and veins.
abstract: Isolated porcine pulmonary vessels were studied in order to evaluate the role of nitric oxide in arteries and veins. Leukotriene C4 and noradrenaline contracted porcine pulmonary arteries but induced only negligible contractions of porcine pulmonary veins. After treatment with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG), significant contractions to leukotriene C4 and noradrenaline were uncovered in pulmonary veins. In arterial preparations, L-NOARG caused a less marked potentiation of noradrenaline-induced contractions and did not alter leukotriene C4-induced contractions. Endothelium-dependent relaxations to acetylcholine were greater in veins compared with arteries whereas the endothelium-independent relaxations to the nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and the cyclic nucleotide analogue 8-bromo-cGMP were similar in the two preparations. Taken together these data suggest that the apparent insensitivity of porcine pulmonary veins to leukotriene C4 and noradrenaline was because of release of nitric oxide. The effect of nitric oxide synthase inhibition was less pronounced in porcine pulmonary arteries, suggesting a preferential functional role of nitric oxide in porcine pulmonary veins, originating in a greater production of nitric oxide by veins as opposed to arteries.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Asthma and Allergy Research, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 177 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bäck
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Walch
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Norel
authors.forename: J-P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gascard
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazmanian
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brink
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D017997:Leukotriene C4 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009129:Muscle Tonus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009599:Nitroprusside; D017997:Leukotriene C4; C016276:8-bromocyclic GMP; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D000109:Acetylcholine; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D009638:Norepinephrine