title: Sesamin enhances nitric oxide bioactivity in aortas of spontaneously hypertensive rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The blood pressure lowering effect of sesamin has been demonstrated to be associated with the increase in vascular nitric oxide (NO) biological activity by our previous studies and others. The present study was designed to explore the underlying mechanisms involved in the effect of sesamin on aortic NO bioactivity in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sesamin was orally administered for 8 consecutive weeks in SHRs. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured using the tail-cuff method. The aortas were isolated and in vitro vascular reactivity studies were performed. Superoxide anion production in carotid arteries was assessed by dihydroethidium fluorescence staining. The protein expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), phosphorylated eNOS (P-eNOS), dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase subunit p47phox, and copper, zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) in aortas was detected by Western blotting. The dimeric form of eNOS in aortas was determined by low-temperature sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Aortic level of nitrotyrosine and activities of antioxidant enzymes, namely, total SOD (T-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase were also detected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In SHRs, sesamin treatment reduced SBP, improved vascular relaxation induced by acetylcholine and enhanced aortic NO bioactivity. Sesamin treatment enhanced NO biosynthesis in SHR aortas was due to upregulated P-eNOS and suppressed eNOS uncoupling, and the latter effect might be attributed to decreased nitrotyrosine and upregulated DHFR. Sesamin also reduced the NO oxidative inactivation and decreased the superoxide anion production through downregulation of p47(phox) and amelioration of eNOS uncoupling. In addition, sesamin treatment did not alter the levels of GPx and catalase activity but obviously reduced the compensatory elevated T-SOD activity and Cu/Zn-SOD protein expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic treatment with sesamin could reduce hypertension and improve endothelial dysfunction through enhancement of NO bioactivity in SHR aortas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Third-Grade Pharmacology Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Third-Grade Pharmacology Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Third-Grade Pharmacology Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Li-qun
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Third-Grade Pharmacology Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Jun-xiu
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Xiang-pan
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Anhui Province Hospital affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Wei-yong
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Wannan Medical College, 22 West of Wenchang Road, Wuhu, Anhui, 241002, China wnmcyaoli@sina.com.
authors.forename: Jie-ren
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004149:Dioxoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D017705:Lignans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D004149:Dioxoles; D017705:Lignans; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; C054125:sesamin
keywords: endothelial dysfunction; nitric oxide; sesamin; spontaneously hypertensive rat