title: Baicalein impairs vascular tone in normal rat aortas: role of superoxide anions.
abstract: Acute exposure to the flavonoid baicalein inhibited endothelium-dependent relaxation in physiological arteries, although the mechanisms are not fully understood. We investigated the effect of baicalein on vascular tone in Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat isolated aortic rings in the presence and absence of oxidative stress to further determine the underlying mechanisms. Exposure to baicalein (10 microM) completely abolished endothelium-dependent relaxation induced by acetylcholine and attenuated significantly the endothelium-independent relaxation induced by sodium nitroprusside. Baicalein, similar to Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 10 microM), potentiated significantly the contractile response of aortic rings to alpha1-adrenoceptor agonist phenylephrine. In the presence of L-NAME the baicalein effect on phenylphrine contraction or acetylcholine relaxation was unaltered, suggesting that these effects of baicalein are (like L-NAME effect) endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)/endothelium-derived nitric oxide-dependent. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase activity with indomethacin (10 microM) or scavenging of superoxide anions with superoxide dismutase (150 units/ml), but not scavenging of hydrogen peroxide with catalase (800 units/ml), enhanced significantly by an essentially similar extent the relaxation to acetylcholine in baicalein-pretreated aortic rings. Relaxant effect to acetylcholine was significantly attenuated in control aortic rings, but was completely abolished in baicalein-pretreated aortic rings in the presence of reduced form of beta-nicotinamide adenine di-nucleotide (beta-NADH, 300 microM). Baicalein blocked beta-NADH (300 microM)-induced transient contractions, suggesting that baicalein may have inhibited activity of NADH/NADPH-oxidase. Baicalein did not alter the failure of acetylcholine to induce relaxation in the presence of pyrogallol (300 microM). In summary, acute exposure to baicalein impairs eNOS/endothelium-derived nitric oxide-mediated vascular tone in rat aortas through the inhibition of endothelium-derived nitric oxide bioavailability coupled to reduced bioactivity of endothelium-derived nitric oxide and to cyclooxygenase-mediated release of superoxide anions.
authors: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia. ajayphd_2006@yahoo.com
authors: Ajay
authors: A
authors: Machha
authors: Francis I
authors: FI
authors: Achike
authors: Mustafa Ali
authors: MA
authors: Mohd
authors: Mohd Rais
authors: MR
authors: Mustafa
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D044950:Flavanones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009243:NAD / Q000494:pharmacology; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism*; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D044950:Flavanones; D009243:NAD; D013481:Superoxides; D009599:Nitroprusside; C006680:baicalein; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D000109:Acetylcholine; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester