title: Ethanol consumption increases blood pressure and alters the responsiveness of the mesenteric vasculature in rats.
abstract: Chronic ethanol consumption and hypertension are related. In the current study we investigated whether changes in reactivity of the mesenteric arterial bed could account for the increased blood pressure associated with chronic ethanol intake. Changes in reactivity to phenylephrine and acetylcholine were investigated in the perfused mesenteric bed from rats treated with ethanol for 2 or 6 weeks and their age-matched controls. Mild hypertension was observed in chronically ethanol-treated rats. Treatment of rats for 6 weeks induced an increase in the contractile response of endothelium-intact mesenteric bed to phenylephrine, but not denuded rat mesenteric bed. The phenylephrine-induced increase in perfusion pressure was not altered after 2 weeks' treatment with ethanol. Moreover, acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation was reduced by ethanol treatment for 6 weeks, but not 2 weeks. Pre-treatment with indometacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, reduced the maximum effect induced by phenylephrine (Emax) in endothelium-intact mesenteric bed from both control and ethanol-treated rats. No differences in the Emax values for phenylephrine were observed between groups in the presence of indometacin. L-NNA, a nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS) inhibitor, increased the Emax for phenylephrine in endothelium-intact mesenteric bed from control rats but not from ethanol-treated rats. Levels of endothelial NOS (eNOS) mRNA were not altered by chronic ethanol consumption. However, chronic ethanol intake strongly reduced eNOS protein levels in the mesenteric bed. This study shows that chronic ethanol consumption increases blood pressure and alters the reactivity of the mesenteric bed. Moreover, the increased vascular response to phenylephrine observed in the mesenteric bed is maintained by two mechanisms: an increased release of endothelial-derived vasoconstrictor prostanoids and a reduced modulatory action of endothelial NO, which seems to be associated with reduced post-transcriptional expression of eNOS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatric Nursing and Human Sciences, College of Nursing of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Tirapelli
authors.forename: Andreia F C
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yogi
authors.forename: Rita C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Tostes
authors.forename: Vera L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Lanchote
authors.forename: Sergio A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Uyemura
authors.forename: Leonardo B M
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Resstel
authors.forename: Fernando M A
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Corrêa
authors.forename: Cláudia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Padovan
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Eduardo B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Coelho
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D008638:Mesenteric Arteries / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D011453:Prostaglandins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D010656:Phenylephrine; D000431:Ethanol; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D000109:Acetylcholine