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Query: UMLS:C0020538 (hypertension)
 170,190 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Acetylcholine evokes the simultaneous release of endothelium-derived relaxing and contracting factors in aortas from spontaneously hypertensive rats. Only relaxing factors are released in aortas from normotensive controls. Experiments were designed to determine whether inhibitors of endothelium-dependent relaxations modify endothelium-dependent contractions. Rings of thoracic aortas of normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats, with and without endothelium, were suspended in organ chambers for isometric tension recording. Oxyhemoglobin (a scavenger of endothelium-derived relaxing factor) and NG-monomethyl L-arginine (an inhibitor of nitric oxide formation) augmented the contractions to acetylcholine. Methylene blue (an inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase) and superoxide dismutase (a scavenger of superoxide anions) did not modify these contractions. The contractions in the presence of oxyhemoglobin or NG-monomethyl L-arginine, like those in untreated rings, were endothelium-dependent; they only occurred in aortas from spontaneously hypertensive rats and were abolished by indomethacin. The contractions to acetylcholine in the presence of oxyhemoglobin were not affected by superoxide dismutase or deferoxamine. These data suggest that endothelium-derived relaxing factor inhibits endothelium-dependent contractions to acetylcholine in the spontaneously hypertensive rat aorta, probably by chemical inactivation of the endothelium-derived contracting factor rather than by stimulation of guanylate cyclase or scavenging of oxygen-derived free radicals.
Hypertension 1992 May
PMID:Nitric oxide inactivates endothelium-derived contracting factor in the rat aorta. 156 62

Norepinephrine-induced responses in isolated perfused mesenteric vascular bed from normotensive and renovascular hypertensive rats were examined in the presence of adenosine diphosphate (ADP, 2 x 10(-6) M). Responses to norepinephrine were significantly greater in vessels from hypertensive rats. Norepinephrine-induced contractions increased after the removal of endothelium. N omega-Nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG), a potent inhibitor of nitric oxide formation, similarly increased contractions. The greatest responses were obtained, however, after treatment of the vascular segments with methylene blue. The presence of ADP caused significant endothelium-dependent decreases in contractions. Although decreases caused by ADP in vessels with endothelium after treatment with L-NOARG were not statistically significant, a tendency to decreased responses seems to suggest that L-NOARG diminishes but does not completely prevent the effect of ADP in mesenteric vessels. Methylene blue partially reduced the endothelium-dependent ADP-induced relaxant effects in sham-operated nephrectomized rats. A tendency to increased contractions to norepinephrine was observed in the presence of ADP after removal of endothelium. Thus, in the mesenteric resistance arteries of the rat under stimulation by ADP, it appears that nitric oxide released from L-arginine and the activity of soluble guanylate cyclase account only in part for the endothelium-dependent decreased responses to norepinephrine. When nitric oxide formation or soluble guanylate cyclase activity are depressed simultaneously with endothelium damage, ADP released from platelets or red blood cells may be an important factor that acts synergically with vasoconstrictor stimuli.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Hypertension 1992 Feb
PMID:Endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent effects of adenosine diphosphate in renovascular hypertension. 173 85

The mechanism whereby endothelial modulation of drug-induced vascular responses might change during hypertension was examined. Acetylcholine (ACh) (1 microM) induced maximal relaxation of aortic ring segments with intact endothelium from both Wistar-Kyoto, normotensive rats (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) at 5 to 6 weeks of age. At 15 to 18 weeks of age the relaxation response to ACh was reduced in rings from both SHR and WKY (to a greater extent in SHR) and was attenuated even more in the deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rat. The contractile responses of aortic preparations to norepinephrine (NE) (0.1 microM) were similar between 5-6-week-old and 15-18-week-old WKY, but were increased in 15-18-week-old SHR compared to 5-6-week-old SHR. Endothelial cell removal increased contractile responses to NE to a greater extent in WKY than SHR but this did not affect that seen in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats. Methylene blue treatment increased contractions of aortic rings with intact endothelium from 15-18-week-old WKY and SHR to the level detected in rubbed arteries, but it did not affect the NE-induced constriction of intact aortic rings from DOCA-salt hypertensive rats. Basal cyclic GMP concentrations in intact aortic rings were not different between SHR and WKY at 5 to 6 weeks of age. The basal aortic cyclic GMP was unchanged in WKY at 15 to 18 weeks of age, but decreased in SHR and in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats of the same age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Endothelial regulation of cyclic GMP and vascular responses in hypertension. 283 46

The morphology of the carotid sinus region of the internal carotid artery was studied in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) at 5, 8, 16, and 24 weeks of age. The carotid sinus region occupied the proximal millimeter of the internal carotid artery, and was easily recognizable by the presence of an extensive adventitial capillary plexus, which was absent on adjacent arteries (e.g., common and external carotid arteries). Methylene blue-stained whole-mount preparations showed the extent of baroreceptor nerves over the sinus. Baroreceptor fibers terminated in distinctive bulbous-like endings, which, at the ultrastructural level, were filled with mitochondria. No differences were noted in the sinus adventitial capillary network or baroreceptor distribution between SHR and age-matched Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) normotensive control animals. With the onset of a significant rise in SHR blood pressure, the carotid sinus wall increased in thickness and total vessel size. The wall/lumen ratios were significantly larger in the SHR than in age-matched WKY ratios in all age groups. SHR carotid sinus vessel enlargement was uniform throughout the vessel tunics, with no significant change in the proportion of the tunica media occupied by smooth muscle cells. The increase in the carotid sinus wall thickness associated with increasing hypertension could affect the ability of the sinus to distend and may play a secondary role in the maintenance of hypertension by compromising baroreceptor nerve ending sensitivity.
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PMID:Morphology of the carotid sinus wall in normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats. 366 43

The hypothesis was tested that plasma from ischemic hindlimbs facilitates hypertension. Ischemia-induced hypertension was generated in rats by infrarenal aortic cross clamping for 5 h after which plasma was obtained from femoral vein blood. In vitro contractile activity of naive aortic rings incubated for 2 h in plasma collected from ischemic rats demonstrated reduced relaxation to acetylcholine and nitroglycerin. Methylene blue (10(-5) M) induced greater contraction in rings incubated in control vs. ischemic plasma, suggesting that endogenous guanylate cyclase activity is decreased by ischemic plasma. However, 8-bromo-guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) relaxed equally strips incubated in ischemic or control plasma. Acetylcholine-induced nitrite release was significantly lower in ischemic vs. control plasma-incubated strips (8.6 +/- 2.7 vs. 28.2 +/- 2.3 ng/10 mg tissue wt, respectively). The impaired relaxation to acetylcholine in ischemic plasma-incubated rings was significantly increased by L-arginine but not by prior treatment of ischemic plasma with heating or superoxide dismutase and catalase. These findings suggest the impaired relaxation is mediated through inhibition of the nitric oxide-cGMP pathway. Prolonged blunting of vasodilation by ischemic plasma may therefore contribute to maintenance of a sustained vasoconstriction and ischemic hypertension.
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PMID:Inhibition of vascular nitric oxide-cGMP pathway by plasma from ischemic hindlimb of rats. 763 55

To directly assess insulin-related venomotor changes objectively and quantitatively, we used a modified ultrasonographic technique to measure venous diameter. Ten healthy men and women were studied by use of an Acuson 128 XP ultrasonograph with a linear 7.5-MHz ultrasonographic transducer (sensitivity, +/- 0.1 mm). Venous diameter was measured with the arm kept at 30 degrees elevation and with a pneumatic cuff above the elbow inflated at 40 mm Hg for the last 2 minutes of each 5-minute observation period. Norepinephrine was infused at incremental concentrations of 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 ng/min (75, 150, 300, and 600 pmol/min, respectively) for 5 minutes each. Maximal venoconstriction was achieved by the dose of 100 ng/min norepinephrine, which was then combined with insulin doses of 8, 16, 24, and 32 microU/min (60, 120, 180, and 230 fmol/min, respectively) for 5 minutes each. In six different subjects, methylene blue, an inhibitor of guanylate cyclase, was infused simultaneously with 32 microU/min insulin and 100 ng/min norepinephrine. Mean resting diameter of the vein (1.8 +/- 0.6 mm [mean +/- SD]) increased (to 3.0 +/- 1.0 mm) after cuff inflation. Incremental doses of norepinephrine caused highly reproducible dose-dependent decrease in venous diameter (to 1.8 +/- 0.6 mm, P < .001). Incremental doses of insulin, when combined with the maximum dose of norepinephrine, caused highly reproducible dose-dependent increases in mean venous diameter (P < .001) compared with norepinephrine alone. Methylene blue, which had no independent effect on venous diameter, inhibited the venodilator effect of insulin (P < .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Hypertension 1995 Apr
PMID:Insulin attenuates norepinephrine-induced venoconstriction. An ultrasonographic study. 772 32

Numerous studies have explored the pathogenesis of cyclosporin A (CysA)-induced hypertension; however, none has assessed the impact of CysA treatment on resistance arteries in the setting of elevated blood pressure. Therefore, we studied the chronic effect of CysA on rat mesenteric artery resistance vessels (ex vivo). CysA (25 mg/kg per d for 7 d), but not vehicle, significantly raised systolic blood pressure (13.4 +/- 2.2 mmHg, P < 0.003, n = 9 per group). The resistance vessels from CysA-treated rats showed a small but significant decrease in norepinephrine sensitivity (P < 0.03) and a pronounced decrease in endothelium-dependent and -independent relaxation (P < 0.001) compared to controls. Endothelin-1 sensitivity tended to be diminished (P = 0.07). The direct (in vitro) effect of CysA was subsequently evaluated in resistance vessels from nontreated animals (n = 8) and exposed to CysA (2 micrograms/ml) for 24 h. As observed in vivo, CysA significantly decreased endothelium-dependent and -independent relaxations (P < 0.05) and attenuated norepinephrine sensitivity (P = 0.06). Methylene blue, a nitric oxide quencher, significantly inhibited the acetylcholine-induced relaxation in control, but not in CysA vessels, suggesting a selective action of CysA on the nitric oxide pathway. We conclude that CysA-induced hypertension is the consequence of a primary effect on resistance vessel relaxation, not increased vasoconstriction, as previously suggested.
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PMID:Vascular mechanisms of cyclosporin-induced hypertension in the rat. 818 56

Methylene blue (MB) is a soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor, and known as an endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) inhibitor in vitro. In the present study, it was demonstrated that intravenous administration of MB caused a dose-dependent hypertensive effect in rats. The hypertensive responses to the higher doses (10 and 20 mg/kg) of MB was followed by a reflex hypotension which did not appear in pithed rats. Noradrenaline depletion by reserpine pretreatment did not inhibit MB-induced hypertension, but abolished the hypotensive response. Both hypertensive and hypotensive phases were not altered by indometacin. These results may suggest that in vivo guanylate cyclase inhibition leads to an increase in blood pressure; prostaglandins and noradrenaline release from sympathetic nerve endings do not contribute to MB-induced hypertension and it may be due in part to the inhibition of EDRF.
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PMID:Effect of methylene blue on blood pressure in rats. 848 67

To investigate the potential mechanisms by which indigo carmine produces hypertension, we tested the hypothesis that indigo carmine inhibits endothelium-dependent vasodilation and determined the possible site of the inhibition (endothelium versus smooth muscle). Using isolated rat thoracic aortic rings that were precontracted with phenylephrine, we examined vasodilatory responses to acetylcholine, histamine, and Ca2+ ionophore A23187 (in endothelium-intact rings) and sodium nitroprusside and isoproterenol (in endothelium-denuded rings) in the presence and absence of indigo carmine. In addition, the effects of methylene blue on the acetylcholine- and sodium nitroprusside-induced vasodilation were compared with those of indigo carmine. Indigo carmine (10(-6), 10(-5), and 10(-4) mol/L) significantly inhibited receptor- and non-receptor-mediated endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation. Indigo carmine (10(-4) mol/L) also inhibited endothelium-independent vasorelaxation induced by sodium nitroprusside (an activator of vascular smooth muscle soluble guanylyl cyclase), although to a lesser extent than vasodilation from acetylcholine, histamine, and Ca2+ ionophore A23187. In contrast, indigo carmine (10(-4) mol/L) had no effect on the vasodilation induced by isoproterenol (an activator of adenylyl cyclase), indicating that indigo carmine selectively inhibits nitric oxide-mediated responses. Methylene blue, a known inhibitor of soluble guanylyl cyclase, inhibited both acetylcholine- and sodium nitroprusside-induced vasorelaxation. The inhibition was also greater in the acetylcholine- than the sodium nitroprusside-induced vasodilation. These results suggest that indigo carmine, like methylene blue, may inhibit endothelium-dependent relaxation by a mechanism that involves two levels. The major action of indigo carmine appears to be at the level of nitric oxide generation and/or release from the endothelial cell. In addition, indigo carmine appears to inhibit vascular smooth muscle guanylyl cyclase. Thus, indigo carmine may elevate blood pressure by interfering with these nitric oxide-mediated vasodilatory mechanisms.
Hypertension 1996 Feb
PMID:Indigo carmine inhibits endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilation. 856 45

Interleukin-1 induced a time-dependent release of high levels of nitric oxide from rat vascular smooth muscle cells up to 96 hours. A time-dependent release of lactate dehydrogenase was also induced by Interleukin-1 from 72 to 96 hours after its stimulation. In situ nick end-labeling assay revealed that incubation for 48 hours with interleukin-1 induced a positive staining of fragmented nuclei. However, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, inhibited both lactate dehydrogenase release and DNA fragmentation induced by interleukin-1. Furthermore, sodium nitroprusside, a nitric oxide donor, also induced lactate dehydrogenase release and DNA fragmentation. Fluorescent staining of DNA revealed patches of irregularly dispersed, brightly staining, and condensed chromatin in rat vascular smooth muscle cells treated with sodium nitroprusside. Flow cytometric analysis with monoclonal antibody against human Fas revealed that expression of Fas was upregulated by sodium nitroprusside in human vascular smooth muscle cells. Methylene blue, an inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase, did not affect sodium nitroprusside-induced upregulation of Fas. Furthermore, 8-bromo-guanosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate, an analogue of cGMP, did not upregulate Fas expression. These findings indicate that nitric oxide released from vascular smooth muscle cells may induce apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle cells themselves and also induced upregulation of Fas via a cGMP-independent mechanism. Thus, nitric oxide could trigger the remodeling of atherosclerotic plaques.
Hypertension 1996 Mar
PMID:Nitric oxide induces upregulation of Fas and apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle. 861 47


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