title: Urocortin protects coronary endothelial function during ischemia-reperfusion: a brief communication.
abstract: Urocortin is a vasodilator peptide related to corticotrophin-releasing factor, which may protect myocardium during coronary ischemia-reperfusion. To study whether urocortin also protects coronary endothelial function during ischemia-reperfusion, hearts from Sprague-Dawley rats were perfused at constant flow and then exposed to 15 mins ischemia followed by 15 mins reperfusion. In one series of experiments, we found that the coronary relaxation to urocortin (10(-11) to 10(-8) M) was reduced by ischemia-reperfusion (51 +/- 4% vs. 79 +/- 4% of the active tone, for the 10(-10) Mdose). In other series of experiments, we observed that ischemia-reperfusion reduced the coronary relaxation to a test dose of acetylcholine (10(-6) M) (25 +/- 2% vs. 54 +/- 9% of active tone), without modifying the relaxation to sodium nitroprusside (10(-6) M). Treatment with a low threshold concentration of urocortin (10(-11) M), administered before ischemia and during reperfusion, partly improved the coronary relaxation to acetylcholine (36 +/- 3% of active tone). These results suggest that ischemia-reperfusion impairs the coronary vasodilation to urocortin and produces endothelial dysfunction and that this endothelial dysfunction may be improved by urocortin.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma, 28029 Madrid, Spain. angeluis.villalon@uam.es
authors.forename: Angel Luis
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: García-Villalón
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sanz
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Monge
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Belén
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Climent
authors.forename: Godofredo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Diéguez
mesh_terms: D019796:15-Hydroxy-11 alpha,9 alpha-(epoxymethano)prosta-5,13-dienoic Acid / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000187:drug effects*; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology; D015425:Myocardial Reperfusion / Q000379:methods*; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D054832:Urocortins
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D054832:Urocortins; D009599:Nitroprusside; D019796:15-Hydroxy-11 alpha,9 alpha-(epoxymethano)prosta-5,13-dienoic Acid; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D000109:Acetylcholine