title: Intermittent hypoxia modulates nitric oxide-dependent vasodilation and capillary perfusion during ischemia-reperfusion-induced damage.
abstract: The microvascular function of nitric oxide (NO) during ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in intermittent hypoxia (IH)-pretreated hamsters was analyzed using 20 mg/kg of the nonselective NO inhibitor N(omega)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) and 5 mg/kg of the preferential inducible NO inhibitor S-methylisothiourea sulphate (SMT) injected before I/R. Studies were made in the hamster cheek pouch microcirculation (intravital fluorescence microscopy). IH consisted of 6 min of 8% O(2) breathing followed by 6 min of 21% O(2) for every 8 h for 21 days. Normoxia controls (NCs) were exposed to room air for the same period. The effects were characterized in terms of systemic hemodynamics, diameter, flow, wall shear stress in arterioles, capillary perfusion, and the concentrations of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and plasma NO, assessed as nitrite/nitrate (NOx) levels. IH did not change arterial blood pressure and increased hematocrit and shear stress. IH increased NOx and TBARS levels and reduced arterial diameter, blood flow, and capillary perfusion versus the NC. Conversely, TBARS and NOx were lower during I/R in IH-pretreated hamsters, resulting in vasodilation and the increase of capillary perfusion and shear stress. After IH, capillary perfusion was reduced by 24% (2.3%) and enhanced by 115% (1.7%) after I/R (P < 0.05). Both modalities of NO blockade decreased NOx generation and increased TBARS versus IH. l-NAME and SMT induced a significant decrease in arteriolar diameter, blood flow, and capillary perfusion (P < 0.05). l-NAME enhanced TBARS more than SMT and aggravated I/R damage. In conclusion, we demonstrated that preconditioning with IH greatly reduces oxidative stress and stimulates NO-induced vasodilation during I/R injury, thus maintaining capillary perfusion.
authors.affiliation: University of Pisa, Via Trieste 41, 56100 Pisa, Italy. sibert@ifc.cnr.it
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bertuglia
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002196:Capillaries / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002610:Cheek / Q000098:blood supply; D006224:Cricetinae; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006339:Heart Rate; D006400:Hematocrit; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007550:Isothiuronium / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D018715:Microscopy, Video; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D009599:Nitroprusside; D007550:Isothiuronium; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; C027744:S-methylisothiopseudouronium; D000109:Acetylcholine; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester