Angiotensin modulation of vascular tone and adrenergic neurotransmission in cat femoral arteries

Age-related differences and roles of endothelial nitric oxide and prostanoids in angiotensin II responses of isolated, perfused mesenteric arteries and veins of rats

We examined whether or not cyclo-oxygenase products of arachidonic acid and endothelium-derived relaxing factor (nitric oxide, NO) regulate the vascular response to angiotensin II differently with aging or development. For this purpose angiotensin II responses of isolated, perfused rat mesenteric vascular beds were compared between rats aged 4 weeks and 32 weeks. Angiotensin II increased perfusion pressure in arteries and veins of both rats aged 4 weeks and 32 weeks. In the arteries of rats aged 32 weeks the increase was slight, and less than that in rats aged 4 weeks. In contrast, the veins showed similar increases in perfusion pressure in rats aged 4 weeks and 32 weeks. Indomethacin, an inhibitor of cyclo-oxygenase, at 5 x 10(-6) M depressed the increase in perfusion pressure only in the arteries of rats aged 32 weeks. NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), an inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthase, applied at 5 x 10(-6) M in the presence of indomethacin enlarged the perfusion pressure increase in the arteries of both rats aged 4 weeks and 32 weeks, while it failed to modify that in the veins. After removal of the endothelium from the blood vessels, the perfusion pressure responses in arteries were increased in both rats aged 4 weeks and 32 weeks, whereas those in veins were not affected. Regardless of the endothelium being intact or removed, the increase in arterial perfusion pressure of rats aged 32 weeks all but disappeared with 5 x 10(-6) M furegrelate, an inhibitor of thromboxane A2 synthase, and with a combined application of furegrelate and 10(-6) M SQ29,548, a blocker of thromboxane A2/prostaglandin H2 receptors. These results indicate the following: in rat mesenteric vascular beds the angiotensin II response in the arteries appears to diminish with aging or development, whereas that in the veins does not change. The NO released from the endothelium regulates the arterial response but vasodilating prostanoids have no role in the response. Moreover, in the arteries of rats aged 32 weeks, vasoconstricting prostanoids, such as prostaglandin H2 and thromboxane A2, seem to play a role in angiotensin II-induced vasoconstriction. With aging or development, and depending on the type of blood vessel, NO and prostanoids appear to modify the angiotensin II response differently.

Effect of clenbuterol on the modulation of noradrenaline release in the rat tail artery

1. Exposure of rat tail arteries to clenbuterol, a beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist, for 20 or 90 min, did not change or increase, respectively, tritium overflow induced by electrical field stimulation in arteries preincubated with [3H]-noradrenaline (NA). This facilitatory effect was antagonized by propranolol. 2. Phentolamine increased the evoked overflow four-fold, which was not modified by 90 min incubation with clenbuterol. In rats pretreated with clenbuterol for 2 weeks, the stimulated overflow was not enhanced by this beta 2-agonist, and the increase produced by phentolamine was markedly diminished. 3. Contractile responses induced by electrical field stimulation were not modified or increased (only at low frequencies) by preincubation with clenbuterol for 20 or 90 min, respectively. This effect was inhibited by propranolol. 4. In arteries precontracted with 5-hydroxytryptamine, clenbuterol (10 nM-10 microM) produced small relaxations, which were reduced by propranolol plus phentolamine and not modified by phentolamine or 90 min exposure to clenbuterol. 5. These results indicate that prolonged exposure of rat tail arteries to clenbuterol produces a facilitation of NA release mediated by activation of presynaptic beta 2-adrenoceptors, which may be involved on the enhancement of contractile responses to electrical stimulation induced by clenbuterol. However, chronic treatment with this beta-agonist desensitizes these receptors.