title: Mechanisms of the protective effects of urocortin on coronary endothelial function during ischemia-reperfusion in rat isolated hearts.
abstract: 1 Urocortin is a vasodilator peptide related to corticotrophin-releasing factor, which may protect endothelial function during coronary ischemia-reperfusion (I-R). The aim of this study was to study the mechanisms of this protective effect. 2 Hearts from Sprague-Dawley rats were isolated and perfused at constant flow and then exposed to 15 min global zero-flow ischemia, followed by 15 min reperfusion. The relaxation to acetylcholine (10 nM-10 microM) was recorded after pre-constriction of the coronary vasculature with U46619 (100-300 nM) in ischemic-reperfused or time-control hearts. 3 After I-R, the coronary relaxation to acetylcholine was reduced and this reduction was attenuated by treatment with urocortin (10 pM), administered before ischemia and during reperfusion. 4 This urocortin-induced improvement of the relaxation to acetylcholine was not modified by tetraethylammonium (10 mM), blocker of Ca2+ dependent-potassium channels; glibenclamide (10 microM), blocker of K(ATP) channels; N(w)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 100 microM), blocker of nitric oxide synthesis; or meclofenamate (10 microM), blocker of cyclooxygenase, but it was abolished by chelerythrine (3 microM), blocker of protein kinase C (PKC). 5 These results suggest that urocortin may protect coronary endothelial function during I-R by activation of PKC.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma, Arzobispo Morcillo 2, 28029 Madrid, Spain. angeluis.villalon@uam.es
authors.forename: Angel Luis
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: García-Villalón
authors.forename: Yesika María
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Amezquita
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: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: Godofredo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Diéguez
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000470:Alkaloids; D000818:Animals; D053119:Benzophenanthridines; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005905:Glyburide / Q000494:pharmacology; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008469:Meclofenamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D010477:Perfusion; D010617:Phenanthridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019789:Tetraethylammonium / Q000494:pharmacology; D054832:Urocortins; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D053119:Benzophenanthridines; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D010617:Phenanthridines; D054832:Urocortins; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D008469:Meclofenamic Acid; D019789:Tetraethylammonium; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; C016299:chelerythrine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D000109:Acetylcholine; D005905:Glyburide; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester