title: Oxygen regulates the effective diffusion distance of nitric oxide in the aortic wall.
abstract: Endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) is critical in maintaining vascular tone. Accumulating evidence shows that NO bioavailability is regulated by oxygen concentration. However, it is unclear to what extent the oxygen concentration regulates NO bioavailability in the vascular wall. In this study, a recently developed experimental setup was used to measure the NO diffusion flux across the aortic wall at various oxygen concentrations. It was observed that for a constant NO concentration at the endothelial surface, the measured NO diffusion flux out of the adventitial surface at [O(2)]=0 microM is around fivefold greater than at [O(2)]=150 microM, indicating that NO is consumed in the aortic wall in an oxygen-dependent manner. Analysis of experimental data shows that the rate of NO consumption in the aortic wall is first order with respect to [NO] and first order with respect to [O(2)], and the rate constant k(1) was determined as (4.0+/-0.3) x 10(3) M(-1) s(-1). Computer simulations demonstrate that NO concentration distribution significantly changes with oxygen concentration and the effective NO diffusion distance at low oxygen level ([O(2)] < or =25 microM) is significantly longer than that at high oxygen level ([O(2)]=200 microM). These results suggest that oxygen-dependent NO consumption may play an important role in dilating blood vessels during hypoxia by increasing the effective NO diffusion distance.
authors.affiliation: Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. Xiaoping.liu@osumc.edu
authors.forename: Xiaoping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Parthasarathy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Collard
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grajdeanu
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lok
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.forename: Avner
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Jay L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Zweier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004058:Diffusion; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology*; D005609:Free Radicals; D000860:Hypoxia; D007700:Kinetics; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D051381:Rats; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D005609:Free Radicals; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D010100:Oxygen