It is documented that in chronic hypertensive state there is an increased vasodepressor response to calcium channel antagonists such as the dihydropyridine derivate nifedipine. This effect is generally proportional to initial blood pressure as was demonstrated in several models of experimental hypertension. In the present study we investigated the effect of chronic nifedipine treatment on the development of cardiovascular system in young spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) in order to evaluate whether it could prevent the abnormalities leading to hypertensive state. Four- and eight-week-old rats were treated with nifedipine (50 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks. Blood pressure of nifedipine-treated SHR remained at the initial level in contrast to their untreated controls where it continued to increase. In both age groups, chronic nifedipine administration reduced neurogenic contractions of isolated superior mesenteric artery, but did not significantly affect the dose-response curve to exogenous noradrenaline in 8-week-old rats. In contrast, maximum response to noradrenaline was significantly attenuated in mesenteric artery of 12-week-old nifedipine-treated SHR. We can presume that the antihypertensive effect of nifedipine is similar in both stages of spontaneous hypertension development, but the mechanisms involved might be different. It seems that chronic reduction of calcium influx during the rapid phase of pathological blood pressure increase in SHR may eliminate the effect of enhanced sympathetic tone, which may have unfavorable consequences on cardiovascular structure and function., A. Zemančíková, J. Török., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) are characterized by enhanced nifedipine-sensitive component of sympathetic vasoconstriction. Our study tried to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for long-term reduction of blood pressure (BP) in SHR subjected to early transient captopril treatment. Adult untreated SHR aged 30-34 weeks were compared with animals subjected to chronic captopril treatment for 6 weeks either in youth (between 4 and 10 weeks of age) or in adulthood (between 24 and 30 weeks of age). Antihypertensive effects of captopril were more pronounced in young than adult SHR. This was due to greater attenuation of sympathetic and nifedipine-sensitive BP components and prevention of residual BP rise in young captopril-treated SHR in which the reductions of nifedipine-sensitive BP component and residual BP persisted for 20 weeks after captopril withdrawal. The magnitude of nifedipine-sensitive component of sympathetic vasoconstriction is decisive for BP maintenance not only in untreated SHR but also in SHR during active captopril treatment by or after its withdrawal., J. Zicha, Z. Dobešová,J. Kuneš., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Maintenance of norepinephrine (NE)-induced contraction is dependent on Ca2+ influx through L-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (VDCC), which is opposed by nitric oxide. Adrenergic receptors are coupled with different G proteins, including inhibitory G proteins (Gi) that can be inactivated by pertussis toxin (PTX). Our study was aimed to investigate the effects of endothelium removal, PTX pretreatment and acute VDCC blockade by nifedipine on the contractions of femoral arteries stimulated by norepinephrine. We used 12-week-old male WKY, half of the rats being injected with PTX (10 μg/kg i.v., 48 h before the experiment), which considerably reduced their blood pressure (BP). Contractions of isolated arteries were measured using Mulvany-Halpern myograph. NE dose-response curves determined in femoral arteries from PTX-treated WKY rats were shifted to the right compared to those from control WKY. On the contrary, removal of endothelium augmented NE dose-response curves shifting them to the left. Acute VDCC blockade by nifedipine (10-7 M) abolished all differences in NE dose-response curves which were dependent on the presence of either intact endothelium or functional Gi proteins because all NE dose-response curves were identical to the curve seen in vessels with intact endothelium from PTX-treated animals. We can conclude that BP reduction after PTX injection is accompanied by the attenuation of NE-induced contraction of femoral arteries irrespective of endothelium presence. Moreover, our data indicate that both vasodilator action of endothelium and Gi-dependent vasoconstrictor effect of norepinephrine operate via the control of Ca2+ influx through VDCC., S. Líšková, J. Kuneš, J. Zicha., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
ncreased systemic vascular resistance is responsible for blood pressure (BP) elevation in most forms of human or experimental hypertension. The enhanced contractility of structurally remodeled resistance arterioles is mediated by enhanced calcium entry (through L type voltagedependent calcium channels - L-VDCC) and/or augmented calcium sensitization (mediated by RhoA/Rho kinase pathway). It is rather difficult to evaluate separately the role of these two pathways in BP control because BP response to the blockade of either pathway is always dependent on the concomitant activity of the complementary pathway. Moreover, vasoconstrictor systems enhance the activity of both pathways, while vasodilators attenuate them. The basal fasudil-sensitive calcium sensitization determined in rats deprived of endogenous renin-angiotensi n system (RAS) and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) in wh ich calcium entry was dose- dependently increased by L-VDCC opener BAY K8644, is smaller in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) than in normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. In co ntrast, if endogenous RAS and SNS were present in intact rats, fasudil caused a greater BP fall in SHR than WKY rats. Our in vivo experiments indicated that the endogenous pressor systems (RAS and SNS) augment calcium sensitization mediated by RhoA/Rho kinase pathway, whereas the endogenous vasodilator systems (such as nitric oxide) attenuate this pathway. However, the modulation of calcium entry and calcium sensitization by nitric oxide is strain-dependent because NO deficiency significan tly augments low calcium entry in WKY and low calcium sensitization in SHR. Further in vivo and in vitro experiments should clarify the interrelationships between endogenous vasoactive systems an d the contribution of calcium entry and/or calcium sensitization to BP maintenance in various forms of experimental hypertension., J. Zicha ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy