Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UNIPROT:P01185 (vasopressin)
 23,126 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The anti-ischemic effects of organic nitrates are rapidly attenuated due to the development of nitrate tolerance. The mechanisms underlying this phenomenon likely involve several independent factors. As a vasodilator, nitroglycerin activates compensatory neurohumoral mechanisms such as the renin-angiotensin system and increases catecholamine and vasopressin levels, all of which may attenuate its vasodilator potency. Tolerance may be also due to the inability of the vessel to dilate after prolonged treatment with the nitrate. More recent experimental studies have challenged traditional tolerance concepts by demonstrating that tolerance is not associated with sulfhydryl group depletion, reduced nitroglycerin biotransformation, or desensitization of the target enzyme guanylyl-cyclase. Experimental and clinical observations suggest that tolerance may be the consequence of intrinsic abnormalities of the vasculature, including enhanced endothelial production of oxygen-derived free radicals secondary to an activation of NAD(P)H-dependent oxidases and an activation of PKC. Superoxide degrades nitric oxide derived from nitroglycerin (NTG) while C activation causes enhanced sensitivity of the vasculature to circulating neurohormones such as catecholamines, angiotensin II, and serotonin, all of which may compromise the vasodilator potency of NTG. Interestingly, these vascular consequences of in vivo NTG treatment such as superoxide production and PKC activation can be mimicked in vitro by incubating cultured endothelial and smooth muscle cells with angiotensin II. Furthermore, nitrate tolerance and rebound following sudden cessation of prolonged NTG therapy can be prevented by concomitant treatment with high-dose angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition, angiotensin type 1 receptor blockade, or antioxidants such as hydralazine. Thus one can conclude that neurohumoral counterregulatory mechanisms such as increased circulating levels of angiotensin II may be at least in part responsible for tolerance mechanisms at the cellular level.
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PMID:Evidence for a role of oxygen-derived free radicals and protein kinase C in nitrate tolerance. 942 22

Oxygen free radicals have been suggested to play important roles in atherogenesis and other pathological processes in the blood vessel wall. The vascular wall contains large amounts of extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD), which is produced and secreted to the extracellular space by smooth muscle cells. In this study, we investigated the influence of factors regulating tension and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and of some interstitial matrix components on EC-SOD expression. The expression and secretion of EC-SOD were upregulated by histamine, vasopressin, oxytocin, endothelin-1, angiotensin II, serotonin, heparin, and heparan sulfate and were downregulated by platelet-derived growth factors-AA and -BB, acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors, and epidermal growth factor. The responses were slow and developed over several days. The findings suggest that various physiological and pathological conditions might markedly influence EC-SOD expression, significantly altering the susceptibility of the vascular wall to effects of the superoxide radical.
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PMID:Vasoactive factors and growth factors alter vascular smooth muscle cell EC-SOD expression. 1155 52

The endothelial cell layer displays the features of a distributed organ and has a variety of biological functions such as keeping the balance between coagulation and fibrinolysis, expression of adhesion molecules for cells in the immune system, metabolism of noradrenaline and 5-hydroxytryptamine, and conversion of angiotensin I and bradykinin. The endothelium also regulates the underlying smooth muscle layer and vascular tone by release of endothelium-derived relaxing factors such as nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandins, and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) as well as vasoconstricting factors such as endothelin, superoxide (O(2)(-)), and thromboxane. We have reviewed the nature, mechanisms of action, and role of these factors in regulation of vascular tone, with special emphasis on NO. By a process catalyzed by NO synthase, NO and citrulline is formed from the substrates molecular O(2) and L-arginine. The main receptor for NO is guanylyl cyclase leading to formation of smooth muscle cyclic guanosinmonophosphate and relaxation. EDHF is an endothelium-derived factor causing vasorelaxation of the underlying smooth muscle layer by hyperpolarization. The nature of EDHF is still unknown, but several candidates for EDHF have been proposed such as potassium ions, hydrogen peroxide, and epoxyeicosatrienoic acids. Prostaglandins such as prostacyclin and prostaglandin E2 binds to specific receptors followed by increases in cyclic adenosinmonophosphate and vasorelaxation, while contractile prostaglandins constrict vessels by activation of thromboxane and endoperoxidase receptors. Superoxide anions induce contraction of vascular smooth muscles cells by scavenging NO. Endothelin is a potent endothelium-derived contractile factor. The synthesis of endothelin-1 is induced by hypoxia, thrombin, interleukin-1, transforming growth factor-beta1, vasopressin, and catecholamines. Cardiovascular risk factors like age, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia are associated with impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation either as a consequence of increased inactivation of endothelium-derived vasodilators or increased formation of endothelium-derived contracting factors. This imbalance of endothelium-derived factors plays a role for development of atheroslerosis and ischemic vascular diseases.
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PMID:[Role of nitric oxide and other endothelium-derived factors]. 1273 1