title: Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) induce vasodilation in isolated rat aortic rings.
abstract: Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are used in biological systems with impact in biomedicine in order to improve diagnostics and treatment of diseases. However, their effects upon the vascular system, are not fully understood. Endothelium and smooth muscle cells (SMC) communicate through release of vasoactive factors as nitric oxide (NO) to maintain vascular tone. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of SWCNTs on vascular tone using isolated rat aortic rings, which were exposed to SWCNTs (0.1, 1 and 10 μg/mL) in presence and absence of endothelium. SWCNTs induced vasodilation in both conditions, indicating that this effect was independent on endothelium; moreover that vasodilation was NO-independent, since its blockage with L-NAME did not modify the observed effect. Together, these results indicate that SWCNTs induce vasodilation in the macrovasculature, may be through a direct interaction with SMC rather than endothelium independent of NO production. Further investigation is required to fully understand the mechanisms of action and mediators involved in the signaling pathway induced by SWCNTs on the vascular system.
authors: Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Coordinacion para la Innovacion y la Aplicacion de la Ciencia y la Tecnologia, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Gutiérrez-Hernández
authors: Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
authors: M A
authors: MA
authors: Ramirez-Lee
authors: Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Rosas-Hernandez
authors: Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Salazar-García
authors: Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
authors: D A
authors: DA
authors: Maldonado-Ortega
authors: Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Coordinacion para la Innovacion y la Aplicacion de la Ciencia y la Tecnologia, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
authors: F J
authors: FJ
authors: González
authors: Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Electronic address: cgonzalez.uaslp@gmail.com.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Gonzalez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009129:Muscle Tonus / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000633:toxicity*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D009569:Nitric Oxide
keywords: Aorta; Endothelium; Single walled carbon nanotubes; Smooth muscle; Vascular tone; Vasodilation