缺血/缺氧对自发性高血压大鼠肠系膜动脉血管舒缩功能的影响及其可能机制

高血压引起的脑卒中、冠心病等严重并发症的发生,均与组织缺血/缺氧导致的动脉血管痉挛有关。为了研究高血压大鼠肠系膜血管缺血/缺氧后的功能学改变,本研究采用三气培养箱模拟缺血/缺氧条件处理自发性高血压大鼠(spontaneously hypertensive rats,SHR)肠系膜动脉血管环,运用敏感的肌张力描记技术测定血管环对不同血管活性物质的反应性。结果显示:与WKY组大鼠相比,SHR组大鼠肠系膜动脉血管对收缩剂KCl和苯肾上腺素(phenylephrine,PE)的反应性明显提高,对内皮依赖的血管舒张剂乙酰胆碱(acetylcholine,ACh)的反应性显著降低;而与SHR组和急性缺血/缺氧对照(WKY+H)组相比较,高血压合并急性缺血/缺氧(SHR+H)组对KCl和PE的收缩反应显著性增加,对ACh的舒张反应明显降低。N-硝基-L-精氨酸甲酯(L-NAME)存在时,SHR+H组和SHR组血管环对ACh的舒张反应没有明显变化,而WKY组血管对ACh的舒张反应显著降低。与SHR组相比,SHR+H组CaCl2诱导的钙依赖性收缩曲线明显左移。在无钙K-H液中,SHR+H组PE和咖啡因(caffeine)诱导的...     

慢性缺氧对大鼠肺动脉内皮依赖性舒张反应及cGMP含量的影响

本实验观察了慢性缺氧对大鼠肺动脉内皮依赖性舒张反应和肺动脉内环磷酸鸟苷(cGMP)含量的影响。乙酰胆碱(ACh)和三磷酸腺苷(ATP)可使正常大鼠的离体肺动脉产生内皮依赖性舒张反应,其舒张作用不受消炎痛的影响,但被甲烯蓝完全抑制。慢性缺氧明显减低了 ACh 和 ATP 诱发的大鼠肺内和肺外动脉的内皮依赖性舒张反应。当 ACh 浓度为10~(-6)mol/L 时,缺氧组大鼠肺内和肺外动脉舒张百分数分别为对照组的61.3%和59.2%;当 ATP浓度为1.8×10~(-5)mol/L 时,缺氧组大鼠肺内和肺外动脉舒张反应分別为对照组的64.9%和55.3%。慢性缺氧也减低了硝普钠(SNP)诱发的大鼠肺动脉非内皮依赖性舒张反应。慢性缺氧显著减低了大鼠肺动脉内 cGMP 的含量。缺氧组和对照组大鼠肺动脉内 cGMP 的基础含量分别是51.9±5.7 pmol/g wet wt.(n=14)和84.9±9.7 pmol/g wet wt.(n=14),p<0.01;经 10~(-7)mol/L ACh 刺激后分别是91.4±7.3 pmol/g wet wt.(n=5)和240.8±30.6pmol/g wet wt.(n=5),p<0.01。慢性缺氧可能抑制了肺动脉平滑肌细胞胞浆中可溶性鸟苷酸环化酶,从而减低了肺动脉对内皮舒张因子和 SNP 的舒张反应性。     

蛋白激酶C对大鼠离体肺动脉环张力及其反应性的调节作用

目的 :观察蛋白激酶C(PKC)对大鼠离体肺动脉环张力及反应性的调节作用。方法 :取Wistar大鼠肺动脉 ,观察在离体情况下PKC激活剂PMA及PKC抑制剂RO3 182 2 0对肺动脉环张力的直接作用 ;对氯化钾 (KCl)、5 羟色胺 (5 HT)和缺氧引起的收缩反应的影响 ;以及PMA对乙酰胆碱 (ACh)介导的内皮依赖性舒张 (EDR)和硝普钠(SNP)介导的内皮非依赖性舒张 (EIDR)反应的影响。结果 :①PMA(5 0 0nmol/L)使肺动脉环产生缓慢增强、持久的收缩 ,随PMA浓度增加而增强 ,RO3 182 2 0 (5 μmol/L)可完全阻断PMA的上述作用 ;②PMA可增强肺动脉对KCl、5 HT的收缩反应 ,该作用随PMA浓度增加而增强 ;③RO3 182 2 0 (5 μmol/L)几乎可以完全阻断离体肺动脉环对缺氧的第二相收缩反应 ;④PMA(10nmol/L)在 10min内完全逆转ACh(10 μmol/L)介导的EDR ,PMA(10nmol/L)还可使ACh的浓度一反应显著减弱 ,达到最大舒张反应的一半时对应的ACh浓度 (EC50 )显著增加 ,最大舒张反应明显减小 ;而PMA对SNP介导的EIDR无显著影响。结论 :PKC在与肺动脉张力及反应性的调节有关的细胞内生物信号传递过程中具有重要作用。     

褪黑素改善内毒素血症大鼠血管反应性

观察褪黑素(melatonin,MT)对脂多糖(lipopolysaccharide,LPS)诱导的体循环和肺循环血管反应性失调的影响,并探讨可能的作用机制。实验分为溶剂对照组、LPS组、LPS+MT组和MT组。制备离体胸主动脉环和肺动脉环,应用血管张力检测技术检测各组血管环对苯肾上腺素(phenylephrine,PE)和乙酰胆碱(acetylcholine,ACh)的反应性并绘制累积剂量反应曲线;制备各组血管组织匀浆,测定丙二醛(malondialhyde,MDA)和超氧化物歧化酶(superoxidedismutes,SOD)含量变化。结果显示:与对照组相比,LPS6h后胸主动脉对PE的收缩反应减弱(P<0.01),对PE(1×10–8~1×10–5mol/L)累积剂量反应曲线下移;而肺动脉对ACh的舒张反应显著下降(P<0.01),对ACh(1×10–8~1×10–5mol/L)累积剂量反应曲线下移。加用MT可显著改善LPS诱导的胸主动脉对缩血管剂PE的低反应性,同时可逆转LPS对肺动脉舒张反应的抑制,LPS+MT组胸主动脉对PE的累积剂量反应曲线和肺动脉对ACh的累积剂量反应曲线位于对照组和LPS组之间;MT还可对抗LPS导致的脂质过氧化,使MDA含量减少,提高抗氧化酶SOD的活性。上述结果提示,MT可改善内毒素血症大鼠的血管反应性失调,抗氧化途径可能是其发挥保护作用的机制之一。     

抗氧化剂丹酚酸A对缺氧鼠肺内动脉ACh舒张反应的影响

应用微量生物测定法观察了丹酚酸A(salvinolic acid A,Sal.A)对慢性缺氧(5000m,10d)大鼠(200～300g)肺内动脉ACh舒张反应的影响,并对其机制进行了初步探讨。实验发现,慢性缺氧可明显减弱大鼠肺内动脉ACh(10~(-8)～10~(-4)mol/L)舒张反应(P<0.01～0.001),在浴槽内先加入Sal.A(10~(-4)mol/L),缺氧鼠肺内动脉ACh舒张反应明显增强(P<0.01),而在浴槽内同时加入血管内皮舒张因子(EDRF)灭活剂phenidon(5×10~(-5)mol/L),则Sal.A上述增强缺氧鼠肺内动脉ACh舒张反应的作用消失。此外,本实验还发现,在以黄嘌呤(X,10~(-4)mol/ L)-黄嘌呤氧化酶(XO,0.01U/ml)系统产生氧自由基损伤正常大鼠肺内动脉ACh舒张反应的基础上,Sal.A(10~(-4)mol/L)同样可明显减弱氧自由基对大鼠肺内动脉ACh舒张反应的损伤作用。结果表明,Sal.A可消除氧自由基对肺血管内皮细胞释放的EDRF的破坏作用而具有保护慢性缺氧鼠肺内动脉ACh舒张反应的作用。     

过氧亚硝基阴离子对离体兔肺动脉反应性变化的影响

探讨过氧亚硝基阴离子(peroxynitrite,ONOO^-)对离体兔肺动脉反应性变化的影响。用离体血管环技术观察ONOO^-孵育后肺动脉对钙离子载体A23187、ADP、ACh、硝普钠(sodium nitroprusside,SNP)和苯肾上腺素(phe-nylephrine,PE)的反应性张力变化。结果显示：(1)ONOO^-孵育后肺动脉对A23187、ADP和ACh引起的舒张反应明显降低,ONOO^-抑制内皮依赖受体依赖或受体非依赖性舒张反应有量效关系;(2)ONOO^-孵育可剂量依赖性抑制肺动脉对SNP的舒张反应;(3)0．5mmol／L ONOO^-孵育后肺动脉对PE的收缩反应明显增强,而1．0和2．0mmol／L ONOO^-导致肺动脉的收缩反应明显降低;(4)溶剂对肺动脉的反应性无明显影响,dec ONOO^-对PE和ADP的反应性影响不大,但可增强A23187、ACh和SNP的舒张反应。结果表明,ONOO^-可改变离体肺动脉的反应性。     

川芎嗪对慢性缺氧大鼠肺动脉和主动脉的离体舒张作用

用生物测定法观察了川芎嗪对慢性缺氧大鼠肺动脉和主动脉环的舒张效应,并与乙酰胆碱的舒血管作用进行了比较。结果表明:川芎嗪对慢性缺氧大鼠肺动脉和主动脉的舒张作用均与平原组无明显差异。慢性缺氧明显减低了乙酰胆碱诱发的肺动脉内皮依赖性舒张反应,但不影响川芎嗪对肺血管的舒张作用。提示川芎嗪对肺血管的舒张作用不依赖于内皮。川芎嗪对肺动脉的舒张作用明显大于体动脉。这些特性有利于川芎嗪对肺动脉高压的治疗。     

慢性心力衰竭大鼠主动脉舒缩功能的变化及其机制

为探讨心力衰竭诱导的血管舒缩功能紊乱的相关机制,本实验对心梗后大鼠慢性心力衰竭(chronic heart failure,CHF)模型胸主动脉血管环的舒缩功能变化及可能的病理学机制进行了研究。将Sprague-Dawley大鼠随机分为两组:假手术(sham)组和慢性心衰(CHF)组。通过冠脉结扎法制作大鼠CHF模型。手术10周后,检测大鼠血流动力学指标及相关参数,之后迅速取出心脏并称重,TTC染色法检测心梗面积。制备大鼠胸主动脉环,利用敏感的肌张力描记技术,比较sham组和CHF组胸主动脉环的舒缩功能,观察血管环对KCl、CaCl2、苯肾上腺素(phenyle phrine,PE)和咖啡因(caffeine)的收缩反应以及对乙酰胆碱(acetylcholine,ACh)的舒张反应。并进一步研究一氧化氮合酶(nitricoxide synthase,NOS)抑制剂N-硝基-L-精氨酸甲酯(N-nitrl-L-arginine methylester,L-NAME)和非选择性环氧合酶(cyclooxy genase,COX)抑制剂吲哚美辛(indomethacin,Indo)对两组胸主动脉环ACh的反应曲线的影响。结果显示:(1)与sham组相比,CHF组大鼠胸主动脉环对血管收缩剂KCl(5～100mmol/L)和PE(1×10-8～3×10-4mol/L)的反应性明显提高,对血管舒张剂ACh(1×10-12～1×10-4mol/L)的反应性显著性降低(P0.01,P0.05);(2)L-NAME(1mmol/L)预处理后,CHF组血管对ACh(1×10-7～1×10-4mol/L)介导的内皮依赖性收缩明显增强(P0.05),加入Indo(10μmol/L)后该现象消失;(3)与Indo未处理组相比,Indo(10μmol/L)预处理后,CHF组血管对ACh(1×10-12～1×10-4mol/L)介导的舒张反应明显增强(P0.05);(4)在无钙K-H液中,与sham组相比,CHF组血管对CaCl2(1×10-4～3×10-2mol/L)介导的钙依赖性收缩曲线明显左移(P0.05);caffeine(30mmol/L)诱导的血管收缩未见显著性变化。以上结果表明,CHF大鼠的胸主动脉血管环收缩异常与内皮功能障碍有关,其机制可能是通过血管内皮细胞COX途径提高内皮收缩因子,和(或)通过电压依赖性钙通道增加外钙流入引起血管收缩性能提高。     

慢性缺氧对肺动脉内皮依赖性和非内皮依赖性舒张反应的影响

本实验用生物测定法观察了模拟海拔5000m高度连续缺氧20d对大鼠肺动脉内皮依赖性和非内皮依赖性舒张反应的影响。结果显示慢性缺氧明显抑制了肺内和肺外动脉对乙酰胆碱、ATP、硝普钠和异丙肾上腺素舒张反应的敏感性和反应性。在浓度为10~(-6)mol/L时,缺氧组大鼠肺内动脉对乙酰胆碱、硝普钠和异丙肾上腺素的舒张反应分别只有对照组大鼠的61.3％、75.9％和61.7％,对浓度为1.8×10~(-5)mol/L的ATP的舒张反应只有对照组大鼠的64.9％。研究表明,ATP和乙酰胆碱主要是通过内皮舒张因子使肺动脉产生内皮依赖性舒张反应,硝普钠和异丙肾上腺素分别通过直接激活血管平滑肌细胞鸟苷酸环化酶和β受体使血管产生非内皮依赖性舒张反应。缺氧同时抑制了肺动脉内皮依赖性和非内皮依赖性舒张反应,提示慢性缺氧可能抑制了正常肺内舒血管活性物质的生理作用。     

一氧化碳对大鼠离体肺动脉的舒张作用

本研究观察了一氧化碳 (CO)对离体大鼠肺动脉的舒张作用。制备Wistar大鼠肺动脉环 ,作出ACh浓度效应曲线之后 ,肺动脉环用一氧化氮合成酶抑制剂L NAME 3 0 μmol/L (n =10 )或血红素氧化酶抑制剂ZnPPIX 10μmol/L +L NAME 3 0 μmol/L (n =10 )孵育 3 0min ,再制备一个ACh的浓度效应曲线 ,观察ZnPPIX对ACh的浓度效应曲线的影响。另取一组肺动脉环 ,分为内皮完整组和去内皮组 ,观察外源性CO对肺动脉环张力的影响。结果表明 ,用L NAME孵育后 ,ACh的血管舒张反应受抑 ,最大抑制率为 5 0 4± 9 2 % ;用ZnPPIX +L NAME孵育后 ,ACh的血管舒张反应进一步受抑 ,最大抑制率为 84 4± 11 2 %。外源性CO无论对内皮完整组还是去内皮组肺动脉都有舒张作用。本研究提示 ,ZnPPIX可抑制ACh的内皮依赖性肺动脉舒张反应 ,CO是一个内皮源性的血管舒张因子 ,外源性CO可舒张肺动脉     

Inactivation of G(i) proteins by pertussis toxin diminishes the effectiveness of adrenergic stimuli in conduit arteries from spontaneously hypertensive rats

Treatment with pertussis toxin (PTX) which eliminates the activity of G(i) proteins effectively reduces blood pressure (BP) and vascular resistance in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). In this study we have compared the functional characteristics of isolated arteries from SHR with and without PTX-treatment (10 microg/kg i.v., 48 h before the experiment). Rings of thoracic aorta, superior mesenteric artery and main pulmonary artery were studied under isometric conditions to measure the reactivity of these vessels to receptor agonists and to transmural electrical stimuli. We have found that the treatment of SHR with PTX had no effect on endothelium-dependent relaxation of thoracic aorta induced by acetylcholine. In PTX-treated SHR, the maximum contraction of mesenteric artery to exogenous noradrenaline was reduced and the dose-response curve to cumulative concentration of noradrenaline was shifted to the right. Similarly, a reduction in the magnitude of neurogenic contractions elicited by electrical stimulation of perivascular nerves was observed in the mesenteric artery from PTX-treated SHR. PTX treatment of SHR also abolished the potentiating effect of angiotensin II on neurogenic contractions of the main pulmonary artery. These results indicate that PTX treatment markedly diminishes the effectiveness of adrenergic stimuli in vasculature of SHR. This could importantly affect BP regulation in genetic hypertension.     

Functional and structural pattern of arterial responses in hereditary hypertriglyceridemic and spontaneously hypertensive rats in early stage of experimental hypertension

It has been shown that endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in regulation of vascular tone in the prenatal and early postnatal period. The aim of this paper was to determine the reactivity and accompanying structural changes in thoracic aorta from 4-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and rats with hereditary hypertriglyceridemia (hHTG) in comparison with age-matched normotensive controls. For functional studies thoracic aorta was excised, cut into rings and mounted in organ baths for measurement of isometric contractile force. For morphological studies cardiovascular system of rats was perfused with glutaraldehyde fixative (at 100 mm Hg) via cannula placed in the left ventricle. Morphological changes of thoracic aorta were measured using light microscopy. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) in SHR (98+/-1 mm Hg) did not significantly differ from that of age-matched control rats (95+/-4 mm Hg), but was slightly increased in hHTG rats (110+/-2 mm Hg, P<0.05). Heart weight/body weight ratio was higher in SHR and hHTG rats than in control group indicating the hypertrophy of the heart in both models of hypertension. Endothelium-dependent relaxation of aorta induced by acetylcholine was preserved in all groups and did not differ from that in control normotensive rats. The maximal isometric contraction of thoracic aorta to noradrenaline (NA) was reduced in hypertensive groups and the concentration-response curves to NA were shifted to the right indicating increased sensitivity of smooth muscle to NA. The values of wall thickness and cross sectional area as well as inner diameter of thoracic aorta in SHR and hHTG rats were significantly decreased in comparison to control groups. Endothelial dysfunction seems to be absent in all young rats before development of hypertension. In conclusion, our observations indicate that in early stage of experimental hypertension NO-dependent relaxation is preserved so that putative impairment of this function provides no significant pathogenic contribution to the onset of hypertension in these two experimental models.     

Chronic in ovo hypoxia decreases pulmonary arterial contractile reactivity and induces biventricular cardiac enlargement in the chicken embryo

Although chronic prenatal hypoxia is considered a major cause of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, experimental studies have failed to consistently find pulmonary hypertensive changes after chronic intrauterine hypoxia. We hypothesized that chronic prenatal hypoxia induces changes in the pulmonary vasculature of the chicken embryo. We analyzed pulmonary arterial reactivity and structure and heart morphology of chicken embryos maintained from days 6 to 19 of the 21-day incubation period under normoxic (21% O(2)) or hypoxic (15% O(2)) conditions. Hypoxia increased mortality (0.46 vs. 0.14; P < 0.01) and reduced the body mass of the surviving 19-day embryos (22.4 +/- 0.5 vs. 26.6 +/- 0.7 g; P < 0.01). A decrease in the response of the pulmonary artery to KCl was observed in the 19-day hypoxic embryos. The contractile responses to endothelin-1, the thromboxane A(2) mimetic U-46619, norepinephrine, and electrical-field stimulation were also reduced in a proportion similar to that observed for KCl-induced contractions. In contrast, no hypoxia-induced decrease of response to vasoconstrictors was observed in externally pipped 21-day embryos (incubated under normoxia for the last 2 days). Relaxations induced by ACh, sodium nitroprusside, or forskolin were unaffected by chronic hypoxia in the pulmonary artery, but femoral artery segments of 19-day hypoxic embryos were significantly less sensitive to ACh than arteries of control embryos [pD(2) (= -log EC(50)): 6.51 +/- 0.1 vs. 7.05 +/- 0.1, P < 0.01]. Pulmonary vessel density, percent wall area, and periarterial sympathetic nerve density were not different between control and hypoxic embryos. In contrast, hypoxic hearts showed an increase in right and left ventricular wall area and thickness. We conclude that, in the chicken embryo, chronic moderate hypoxia during incubation transiently reduced pulmonary arterial contractile reactivity, impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation of femoral but not pulmonary arteries, and induced biventricular cardiac hypertrophy.     

Effects of hypoxia on vertebrate blood vessels

Hypoxia contracts mammalian respiratory vessels and increases vascular resistance in respiratory tissues of many vertebrates. In systemic vessels these responses vary, hypoxia relaxes mammalian vessels and contracts systemic arteries from cyclostomes. It has been proposed that hypoxic vasoconstriction in cyclostome systemic arteries is the antecedent to mammalian hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, however, phylogenetic characterization of hypoxic responses is lacking. In this study, we characterized the hypoxic response of isolated systemic and respiratory vessels from a variety of vertebrates using standard myography. Pre-gill/respiratory (ventral aorta, afferent branchial artery, pulmonary artery) and post-gill/systemic (dorsal and thoracic aortas, efferent branchial artery) from lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus), yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), Pekin duck (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus), chicken (Gallus domesticus) and rat (Rattus norvegicus) were exposed to hypoxia at rest or during pre-stimulation (elevated extracellular potassium, epinephrine or norepinephrine). Hypoxia produced a relaxation or transient contraction followed by relaxation in all pre-gill vessels, except for contraction in lamprey, and vasoconstriction or tri-phasic constriction-dilation-constriction in all pulmonary vessels. Hypoxia contracted systemic vessels from all animals except shark and rat and in pre-contracted rat aortas it produced a transient contraction followed by relaxation. These results show that while the classic "systemic hypoxic vasodilation and pulmonary hypoxic vasoconstriction" may occur in the microcirculation, the hypoxic response of the vertebrate macrocirculation is quite variable. These findings also suggest that hypoxic vasoconstriction is a phylogenetically ancient response.     

Improved pulmonary vascular reactivity and decreased hypertrophic remodeling during nonhypercapnic acidosis in experimental pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is characterized by pulmonary arteriolar remodeling with excessive pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation. This results in decreased responsiveness of pulmonary circulation to vasodilator therapies. We have shown that extracellular acidosis inhibits VSMC proliferation and migration in vitro. Here we tested whether induction of nonhypercapnic acidosis in vivo ameliorates PH and the underlying pulmonary vascular remodeling and dysfunction. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to hypoxia (8.5% O(2)) for 2 wk, or injected subcutaneously with monocrotaline (MCT, 60 mg/kg) to develop PH. Acidosis was induced with NH(4)Cl (1.5%) in the drinking water 5 days prior to and during the 2 wk of hypoxic exposure (prevention protocol), or after MCT injection from day 21 to 28 (reversal protocol). Right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) and Fulton's index were measured, and pulmonary arteriolar remodeling was analyzed. Pulmonary and mesenteric artery contraction to phenylephrine (Phe) and high KCl, and relaxation to acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were examined ex vivo. Hypoxic and MCT-treated rats demonstrated increased RVSP, Fulton's index, and pulmonary arteriolar thickening. In pulmonary arteries of hypoxic and MCT rats there was reduced contraction to Phe and KCl and reduced vasodilation to ACh and SNP. Acidosis prevented hypoxia-induced PH, reversed MCT-induced PH, and resulted in reduction in all indexes of PH including RVSP, Fulton's index, and pulmonary arteriolar remodeling. Pulmonary artery contraction to Phe and KCl was preserved or improved, and relaxation to ACh and SNP was enhanced in NH(4)Cl-treated PH animals. Acidosis alone did not affect the hemodynamics or pulmonary vascular function. Phe and KCl contraction and ACh and SNP relaxation were not different in mesenteric arteries of all groups. Thus nonhypercapnic acidosis ameliorates experimental PH, attenuates pulmonary arteriolar thickening, and enhances pulmonary vascular responsiveness to vasoconstrictor and vasodilator stimuli. Together with our finding that acidosis decreases VSMC proliferation, the results are consistent with the possibility that nonhypercapnic acidosis promotes differentiation of pulmonary VSMCs to a more contractile phenotype, which may enhance the effectiveness of vasodilator therapies in PH.     

Acute and chronic cardiovascular effects of intermittent hypoxia in C57BL/6J mice.

We investigated the effects of 1) acute hypoxia and 2) 5 wk of chronic intermittent hypoxia (IH) on the systemic and pulmonary circulations of C57BL/6J mice. Mice were chronically instrumented with either femoral artery or right ventricular catheters. In response to acute hypoxia (4 min of 10% O2; n = 6), systemic arterial blood pressure fell (P < 0.005) from 107.7 +/- 2.5 to 84.7 +/- 6.5 mmHg, whereas right ventricular pressure increased (P < 0.005) from 11.7 +/- 0.8 to 14.9 +/- 1.3 mmHg. Another cohort of mice was then exposed to IH for 5 wk (O2 nadir = 5%, 60-s cycles, 12 h/day) and then implanted with catheters. In response to 5 wk of chronic IH, mice (n = 8) increased systemic blood pressure by 7.5 mmHg, left ventricle + septum weight by 32.2 +/- 7.5 x 10(-2) g/100 g body wt (P < 0.015), and right ventricle weight by 19.3 +/- 3.2 x 10(-2) g/100 g body wt (P < 0.001), resulting in a 14% increase in the right ventricle/left ventricle + septum weight (P < 0.005). We conclude that in C57BL/6J mice 1) acute hypoxia causes opposite effects on the pulmonary and systemic circulations, leading to preferential loading of the right heart; and 2) chronic IH in mice results in mild to moderate systemic and pulmonary hypertension, with resultant left- and right-sided ventricular hypertrophy.     

Delayed development of hypertension and increased aortic relaxation in spontaneously hypertensive rats after neonatal sympathectomy

The effect of neonatal sympathectomy on vasodilator responses to acetylcholine (ACh) and cAMP has been studied in aortic rings of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive animals. The relaxation of intact SHR aorta in response to ACh and cAMP was 20-35% lower than that of normotensive rats. Sympathectomy in normotensive rats did not affect the level of blood pressure and aorta reactivity to Ach. In SHR, sympathectomy caused a decrease in blood pressure, while relaxation in response to ACh and cAMP increased, as compared to intact SHR, but remained lower than in normotensive rats. The data obtained suggest that the decrease in arterial pressure of sympathectomized SHR is a result not only of the reduction in sympathetic effects but also of the increase in smooth muscle relaxation.     

Effects of spontaneous or induced brain ischemia on vessel reactivity: the role of inducible nitric oxide synthase

Short episodes of ischemia and reperfusion in various organs may protect the organ itself, and the heart both as an immediate and a delayed effect. The present study investigates whether a systemic protection of vascular function occurs during adaption to ischemia. Brain ischemia was induced by bilateral ligation of the internal carotid arteries in C57BL6 mice, and 24-36 hours later rings of the thoracic aorta were mounted to study in vitro relaxation and contraction, or proteins were extracted for immunoblotting for endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) or inducible NOS (iNOS). eNOS decreased, while iNOS increased in the aortic wall after carotid artery ligation. In vitro contraction to increasing concentrations of prostaglandin F(2alpha) (PGF(2alpha)) was attenuated, while relaxation to acetylcholine (ACh) was enhanced. The latter was abolished by the iNOS-inhibitor aminoguanidine. When brain ischemia was induced in iNOS deficient mice, an increase of aortic eNOS was found 24 hours later. The ischemia-induced attenuated relaxation to PGF(2alpha) and enhanced relaxation to ACh were abolished. Aortic rings from mice with severe atherosclerosis (apolipoprotein E and low density lipoprotein receptor double knockout (ApoE/LDLr KO) mice) and spontaneous ischemic events in the heart or brain in vivo were also studied. Spontaneous ischemic events in ApoE/LDLr KO animals did not influence iNOS and eNOS in the vessel wall. A reduced contraction to PGF(2alpha) was observed, but relaxation to ACh was unchanged. These findings suggest that induced brain ischemia as a model of delayed, remote preconditioning protects vessel reactivity, and this protection is mediated by iNOS.     

Chronic hypoxia attenuates nitric oxide-dependent hemodynamic responses to acute hypoxia

Alterations in the nitric oxide (NO) pathway have been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension. Chronic hypoxia can either suppress the NO pathway, causing pulmonary hypertension, or increase NO release in order to counteract elevated pulmonary arterial pressure. We determined the effect of NO synthase inhibitor on hemodynamic responses to acute hypoxia (10% O(2)) in anesthetized rats following chronic exposure to hypobaric hypoxia (0.5 atm, air). In rats raised under normoxic conditions, acute hypoxia caused profound systemic hypotension and slight pulmonary hypertension without altering cardiac output. The total systemic vascular resistance (SVR) decreased by 41 +/- 5%, whereas the pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) increased by 25 +/- 6% during acute hypoxia. Pretreatment with N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 25 mg/kg) attenuated systemic vasodilatation and enhanced pulmonary vasoconstriction. In rats with prior exposure to chronic hypobaric hypoxia, the baseline values of mean pulmonary and systemic arterial pressure were significantly higher than those in the normoxic group. Chronic hypoxia caused right ventricular hypertrophy, as evidenced by a greater weight ratio of the right ventricle to the left ventricle and the interventricular septum compared to the normoxic group (46 +/- 4 vs. 28 +/- 3%). In rats which were previously exposed to chronic hypoxia (half room air for 15 days), acute hypoxia reduced SVR by 14 +/- 6% and increased PVR by 17 +/- 4%. Pretreatment with L-NAME further inhibited the systemic vasodilatation effect of acute hypoxia, but did not enhance pulmonary vasoconstriction. Our results suggest that the release of NO counteracts pulmonary vasoconstriction but lowers systemic vasodilatation on exposure to acute hypoxia, and these responses are attenuated following adaptation to chronic hypoxia.