title: Effect of Long-Term Diabetes on Serotonin-Mediated Contraction in Carotid Arteries from Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Male and Female Rats.
abstract: An accumulating body of evidence suggests that males and females differ in vascular function in arteries under pathophysiological states. In this study, we tested whether there was a sex difference associated with serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT)-mediated contraction in the carotid arteries of long-term streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats [viz. 23 or 24 weeks after STZ (65 mg/kg, intravenously (i.v.)) injection starting at 8 weeks old of rats]. In the control group, the 5-HT- and high-K+-induced contractions were greater in females than in males. In both sexes, treatment with STZ led to a decrease of 5-HT-induced contraction in carotid arteries compared to controls. In STZ-induced diabetic rats, the carotid arterial 5-HT-induced contraction was greater in female rats than in diabetic male rats. The high-K+-induced contraction was greater in diabetic female rats than in either age-matched female controls or diabetic male rats. Expression of the 5-HT2Areceptor, which is the main receptor for 5-HT-induced contraction in rat carotid arteries, was similar among the four groups. These results suggest that decreased 5-HT-induced carotid arterial contraction is seen in both sexes under long-term STZ-induced diabetic conditions. Further, this reduction seems to be weaker in females than in males. This alteration of 5-HT-induced contraction may be partly associated with increased voltage-dependent Ca2+channel activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Morphology, Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Hoshi University.
authors.forename: Shun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Shota
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Maika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iguchi
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: Tsuneo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A / Q000378:metabolism; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology*; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; D012701:Serotonin