title: Raloxifene elicits combined rapid vasorelaxation and long-term anti-inflammatory actions in rat aorta.
abstract: Previous studies reported the ability of raloxifene to acutely relax arterial and venous vessels, but the underlying mechanisms are controversial. Anti-inflammatory effects of the drug have been reported in nonvascular tissues. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the nature of short- and long-term effects of raloxifene on selected aspects of vascular function in rat aorta. Isometric tension changes in response to raloxifene were recorded in aortic rings from ovariectomized female rats that underwent estrogen replacement, whereas long-term experiments were performed in isolated aortic smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Raloxifene (0.1 pM-0.1 microM) induced acute vasorelaxation through endothelium- and nitric oxide (NO)-dependent, prostanoid-independent mechanisms. The relaxant response to raloxifene was significantly weaker than that to 17beta-estradiol and was sensitive to neither the nonselective estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780 [7,17-[9[(4,4,5,5,5-pentafluoropentyl)sulfinyl]nonyl]estra-1,3,5(10)-triene-3,17-diol] nor a selective estrogen receptor (ER) alpha antagonist. This rapid vasorelaxant effect was retained in aortic rings from rats treated with 0.1 mg/kg, but not 1 mg/kg, lipopolysaccharide, 4 h before sacrifice. In cultured aortic SMCs, raloxifene treatment (1 nM-1 microM) for 24 h reduced inducible NO synthase activation in response to cytokines. This effect was prevented by the selective ERalpha antagonist and was associated with up-regulation of ERalpha protein levels, which dropped markedly upon cytokine stimulation. These findings illustrate the relevance of classic ER-dependent pathways to the vascular anti-inflammatory effects rather than to the nongenomic vasorelaxation induced by raloxifene and may assist in the design of novel ER isoform-selective estrogen-receptor modulators targeted to the vascular system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacological Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pinna
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bolego
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sanvito
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pelosi
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baetta
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corsini
authors.forename: Rosa Maria
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Gaion
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cignarella
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004958:Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000187:drug effects; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D000077267:Fulvestrant; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D007700:Kinetics; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000378:metabolism; D010052:Ovariectomy; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D009573:Nitrites; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D000077267:Fulvestrant; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride; D004958:Estradiol