Inducible nitric oxide synthase-derived superoxide contributes to hypereactivity in small mesenteric arteries from a rat model of chronic heart failure

The aims of this study were to (a) determine whether inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is expressed in small mesenteric arteries from rats with chronic heart failure (CHF), (b) investigate the functional significance of this potential source of nitric oxide (NO) on vascular responsiveness and (c) investigate the role that superoxide plays in modulating vascular function in these arteries. CHF was induced in male Wistar rats by coronary artery ligation (CAL). In sham-operated rats the ligature was not tied but pulled under the artery. Six weeks after surgery CAL rats had left ventricular (LV) infarctions and elevated LV end-diastolic pressures. Immunoreactive iNOS was found in endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells and in the adventitia of small mesenteric arteries from CAL rats but not those from sham-operated rats. Third order mesenteric arteries (300-350 microm) were mounted in a small vessel pressure myograph. Endothelium-intact arteries from CAL rats were more responsive to phenylephrine (PE) than arteries from sham-operated rats (pD(2) value, CAL, 6.2+/-0.1; sham-operated, 5.9+/-0.1, P<0.05). Both the selective iNOS inhibitor, N-(3-(Aminomethyl) benzyl) acetamidine dihydrochloride (1400W; 10(-6) M) and the superoxide dismutase mimetic, Mn [III] tetrakis [1-methyl-4-pyridyl] porphyrin, (MnTMPyP; 10(-4) M) reversed the hyperesponsiveness (pD(2) values, 1400W, 5.9+/-0.1; MnTMPyP, 5.81+/-0.1, P<0.05). The NOS substrate, L-arginine (10(-3) M), reduced responsiveness of endothelium-denuded small mesenteric arteries from CAL rats (P<0.01). None of these drugs altered responses to PE in arteries from sham-operated rats. In summary, this study demonstrates that iNOS is expressed in mesenteric arteries from rats with CHF. However, instead of generating large quantities of NO, iNOS appears to be generating superoxide, perhaps because of a deficiency in its substrate, L-arginine. Increased superoxide generation from iNOS contributes to the hyperesponsive nature of endothelium-intact small mesenteric arteries from rats with CHF.

Effect of clenbuterol on non-endothelial nitric oxide release in rat mesenteric arteries and the involvement of beta-adrenoceptors

1. The aim of the present study was to explore the contribution of adrenergic, sensory and nitrergic innervations to the inhibitory effects of the beta2-adrenoceptor agonist clenbuterol on responses to electrical field stimulation (EFS, 200 mA, 0.3 ms, 1-16 Hz, for 30 s, at 1 min interval) in rat mesenteric artery segments without endothelium and the possible involvement of adrenergic, sensory and nitrergic innervations. 2. Clenbuterol (1 microM) reduced EFS-induced contractile responses, and this effect was reversed by the beta-antagonist propranolol (1 microM) (contraction at 16 Hz expressed as % of 75 mM K+-induced contraction was: control, 69+/-9, clenbuterol, 31+/-6, n=13, P<0.001; control, 83+/-5, clenbuterol+propranolol 70+/-7, n=11, P>0.05). 3. In arteries preincubated with [3H]-noradrenaline (NA), clenbuterol did not modify the tritium overflow evoked by EFS (200 mA, 0.3 ms, 4 Hz, for 60 s; ratio between tritium release in the second and first stimuli was: control, 0.80+/-0.05 and clenbuterol added before second stimulus, 0.91+/-0.11, n=5, P>0.05). 4. The nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitors NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) and NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (10 and 100 microM), and the guanylate cyclase inhibitor methylene blue (10 microM) increased the contractions caused by EFS (% contraction at 16 Hz, control, 81+/-7, n=26; 10 microM L-NMMA, 109+/-12, n=8, P<0.05; methylene blue, 119+/-6, n=6, P<0.05). However, these contractions were decreased by the NO synthase substrate L-arginine 10 microM (14+/-6%, n=6, P<0.001), but not modified by either the sensory neurones toxin capsaicin (0.5 microM, 75+/-6%, n=6, P>0.05) or the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (10 microM, 83+/-6%, n=8, P>0.05). None of these drugs altered the concentration-response curves to exogenous NA (n=7). 5. Pretreatment with capsaicin or cycloheximide did not modify the reduction of the EFS-evoked contraction provoked by clenbuterol. However the presence of L-NMMA (or L-NAME) or methylene blue did decrease the effect of clenbuterol (% contraction at 16 Hz, clenbuterol, 31+/-6, n=13; clenbuterol+10 microM L-NMMA, 93+/-11, n=8, P<0.05; clenbuterol+methylene blue, 90+/-7, n=6, P<0.05). 6. These results suggest that the reduction caused by clenbuterol in the contraction induced by EFS in rat mesenteric arteries seems to be mediated by NO release, through the activation of beta2-adrenoceptors probably present on nitrergic nerves.

Involvement of tyrosine phosphorylation in endothelin-1-induced calcium-sensitization in rat small mesenteric arteries

1. We have studied the effect of endothelin-1 stimulation on protein tyrosine phosphorylation levels in intact small mesenteric arteries of the rat and investigated the effects of tyrosine kinase inhibition on the contractile response to this agonist. 2. Endothelin-1 stimulated a rapid (20 s), sustained (up to 20 min) and concentration-dependent (1-100 nM) increase in protein tyrosine phosphorylation levels which coincided temporally with the contractile response in intact and alpha-toxin permeabilized small artery preparations. Tyrosine phosphorylation was increased in four main clusters of proteins of apparent molecular mass 28-33, 56-61, 75-85 and 105-115 kDa. Endothelin-1-induced protein tyrosine phosphorylation was independent of extracellular calcium, antagonized by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor tyrphostin A23 but not by the inactive tyrphostin A1. 3. In intact small arteries tyrphostin A23 inhibited the force developed to endothelin-1 at all concentrations studied; at higher concentrations (10 and 100 nM) the profile of contraction was altered from a sustained to a transient response. Tyrphostin A1 inhibited the contractile response to endothelin-1 at all concentrations except 100 nM; the profile of the response was not altered. Neither tyrphostin affected the transient phasic contraction induced by endothelin-1 (100 nM) in the absence of extracellular calcium. 4. In rat alpha-toxin permeabilized mesenteric arteries endothelin-1 caused a concentration-dependent increase in force in the presence of 10 microM GTP and low (pCa 6.7) constant calcium, demonstrating increased sensitivity of the contractile apparatus to calcium. Tyrphostin A23 inhibited this response by approximately 50%, tyrphostin A1 did not affect endothelin-1-induced calcium sensitization of force. 5. We conclude that increased tyrosine phosphorylation is important in the contractile response induced by endothelin-1 in intact small mesenteric arteries. Furthermore our data implicate activation of this signalling pathway in the tonic phase of contraction possibly through modulation of the sensitivity of the contractile apparatus to calcium.