Abstract
The effects of chronic oral administration of ethanol (7.2% daily during 24 weeks) on the contractions induced by phenylephrine (Phe) and the endothelium-dependent relaxation responses to acetylcholine (ACh) were studied in rat thoracic aorta. Ethanol pretreatment significantly attenuated the contractile responses to Phe, resulting in parallel shift of the concentration–response curve to the right. EC50values of Phe were 64.6±11.2 and 95.5±8.5 nmol l−1in control and ethanol-fed rats, respectively. On the other hand, either calcium-induced contractions or relaxation responses to ACh and sodium nitroprusside were similar in the vessels of the control and ethanol-treated rats. These results suggest that chronic ethanol ingestion significantly attenuates the α1-adrenergic-induced contractions but does not affect the relaxation responses mediated by nitric oxide in rat aortic rings.
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