Relaxation Of Pulmonary Artery Rings Research Articles

In smokers, Sonic hedgehog modulates pulmonary endothelial function through vascular endothelial growth factor

BackgroundTobacco-induced pulmonary vascular disease is partly driven by endothelial dysfunction. The Sonic hedgehog (SHH) pathway is involved in vascular physiology. We sought to establish whether the SHH pathway has a role in pulmonary endothelial dysfunction in smokers.MethodsThe ex vivo endothelium-dependent relaxation of pulmonary artery rings in response to acetylcholine (Ach) was compared in 34 current or ex-smokers and 8 never-smokers. The results were expressed as a percentage of the contraction with phenylephrine. We tested the effects of SHH inhibitors (GANT61 and cyclopamine), an SHH activator (SAG) and recombinant VEGF on the Ach-induced relaxation. The level of VEGF protein in the pulmonary artery ring was measured in an ELISA. SHH pathway gene expression was quantified in reverse transcriptase–quantitative polymerase chain reactions.ResultsAch-induced relaxation was much less intense in smokers than in never-smokers (respectively 24 ± 6% and 50 ± 7% with 10−4M Ach; p = 0.028). All SHH pathway genes were expressed in pulmonary artery rings from smokers. SHH inhibition by GANT61 reduced Ach-induced relaxation and VEGF gene expression in the pulmonary artery ring. Recombinant VEGF restored the ring’s endothelial function. VEGF gene and protein expression levels in the pulmonary artery rings were positively correlated with the degree of Ach-induced relaxation and negatively correlated with the number of pack-years.ConclusionSHH pathway genes and proteins are expressed in pulmonary artery rings from smokers, where they modulate endothelial function through VEGF.

Low tidal volume protects pulmonary vasomotor function from “second-hit” injury in acute lung injury rats

BackgroundSepsis could induce indirect acute lung injury(ALI), and pulmonary vasomotor dysfunction. While low tidal volume is advocated for treatment of ALI patients. However, there is no evidence for low tidal volume that it could mitigate pulmonary vasomotor dysfunction in indirect ALI. Our study is to evaluate whether low tidal volume ventilation could protect the pulmonary vascular function in indirect lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced acute lung injury rats.MethodsAn indirect ALI rat model was induced by intravenous infusion of LPS. Thirty rats (n = 6 in each group) were randomly divided into (1)Control group; (2) ALI group; (3) LV group (tidal volume of 6mL/kg); (4) MV group (tidal volume of 12mL/kg); (5)VLV group (tidal volume of 3mL/kg). Mean arterial pressure and blood gas analysis were monitored every 2 hours throughout the experiment. Lung tissues and pulmonary artery rings were immediately harvested after the rats were bled to be killed to detect the contents of endothelin-1 (ET-1), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and TNF-α. Acetylcholine (Ache)-induced endothelium-dependent and sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-induced endothelium-independent relaxation of isolated pulmonary artery rings were measured by tensiometry.ResultsThere was no difference within groups concerning blood pressure, PaCO2 and SNP-induced endothelium-independent relaxation of pulmonary artery rings. Compared with MV group, LV group significantly reduced LPS-induced expression of ET-1 level (113.79 ± 7.33pg/mL vs. 152.52 ± 12.75pg/mL, P < 0.05) and TNF-α (3305.09 ± 334.29pg/mL vs.4144.07 ± 608.21pg/mL, P < 0.05), increased the expression of eNOS (IOD: 15032.05 ± 5925.07 vs. 11454.32 ± 6035.47, P < 0.05). While Ache (10-7mol/L-10-4mol/L)-induced vasodilatation was ameliorated 30% more in LV group than in MV group.ConclusionsLow tidal volume could protect the pulmonary vasodilative function during indirect ALI by decreasing vasoconstrictor factors, increasing expressions of vasodilator factors in pulmonary endothelial cells, and inhibiting inflammation injuries.

Effects of nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide on the relaxation of pulmonary arteries in rats

The balance between vasodilation and vasoconstriction plays a major role in maintaining vascular homeostasis. However, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. More and more evidence suggested that there was an interaction in the regulation of vasorelaxation between nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S). We explored the interaction between and effects of NO and H(2)S on the relaxation of pulmonary arteries in rats. Seven male Sprague-Dawley rats were anaesthetized with chloral hydrate and the pulmonary arteries of each rat separated for the study of vascular activities. The vasorelaxing activities of pulmonary artery rings in response to different doses of a NO donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), or a H(2)S donor, sodium hydrogen sulfide (NaHS), were measured in vitro. When pulmonary artery rings were treated with a cystathionine-gamma-lyase inhibitor, DL-propargylglycine, in the presence of SNP or a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, in the presence of NaHS, the changes in relaxing activities were analyzed. The relaxation of pulmonary artery rings was in a dose dependent manner in response to either SNP or NaHS. The relaxation rates of pulmonary artery rings increased from (30.90+/-4.62)% to (60.50+/-8.08)% when the concentration of SNP increased from 1 micromol/L to 3 micromol/L and from (26.13+/-4.12)% to (53.09+/-14.01)% when the concentration of NaHS increased from 25 micromol/L to 100 micromol/L. However, when appropriate inhibitor was added, the relaxation responses to SNP and NaHS decreased. The results suggested that similarly to NO, H(2)S acted as a vasorelaxant either independently of, or synergistically with NO in the regulation of vasorelaxation. The interaction between NO and H(2)S played an important role in regulating relaxing activities of pulmonary arteries.

Oxidant stress from uncoupled nitric oxide synthase impairs vasodilation in fetal lambs with persistent pulmonary hypertension

Persistent pulmonary hypertension of newborn (PPHN) is associated with decreased NO release and impaired pulmonary vasodilation. We investigated the hypothesis that increased superoxide (O(2)(*-)) release by an uncoupled endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) contributes to impaired pulmonary vasodilation in PPHN. We investigated the response of isolated pulmonary arteries to the NOS agonist ATP and the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) in fetal lambs with PPHN induced by prenatal ligation of ductus arteriosus and in sham-ligated controls in the presence or absence of the NOS antagonist nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or the O(2)(*-) scavenger 4,5-dihydroxy-1,3-benzenedisulfonate (Tiron). ATP caused dose-dependent relaxation of pulmonary artery rings in control lambs but induced constriction of the rings in PPHN lambs. L-NAME, the NO precursor L-arginine, and Tiron restored the relaxation response of pulmonary artery rings to ATP in PPHN. Relaxation to NO was attenuated in arteries from PPHN lambs, and the response was improved by L-NAME and by Tiron. We also investigated the alteration in heat shock protein (HSP)90-eNOS interactions and release of NO and O(2)(*-) in response to ATP in the pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAEC) from these lambs. Cultured PAEC and endothelium of freshly isolated pulmonary arteries from PPHN lambs released O(2)(*-) in response to ATP, and this was attenuated by the NOS antagonist L-NAME and superoxide dismutase (SOD). ATP stimulated HSP90-eNOS interactions in PAEC from control but not PPHN lambs. HSP90 immunoprecipitated from PPHN pulmonary arteries had increased nitrotyrosine signal. Oxidant stress from uncoupled eNOS contributes to impaired pulmonary vasodilation in PPHN induced by ductal ligation in fetal lambs.

Thiol oxidation causes pulmonary vasodilation by activating K+ channels and inhibiting store-operated Ca2+ channels

Cellular redox change regulates pulmonary vascular tone by affecting function of membrane and cytoplasmic proteins, enzymes, and second messengers. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that functional modulation of ion channels by thiol oxidation contributes to regulation of excitation-contraction coupling in isolated pulmonary artery (PA) rings. Acute treatment with the thiol oxidant diamide produced a dose-dependent relaxation in PA rings; the IC50 was 335 and 58 microM for 40 mM K+ - and 2 microM phenylephrine-induced PA contraction, respectively. The diamide-mediated pulmonary vasodilation was affected by neither functional removal of endothelium nor 8-bromoguanosine-3'-5'-cyclic monophosphate (50 microM) and HA-1004 (30 microM). A rise in extracellular K+ concentration (from 20 to 80 mM) attenuated the thiol oxidant-induced PA relaxation. Passive store depletion by cyclopiazonic acid (50 microM) and active store depletion by phenylephrine (in the absence of external Ca2+ both induced PA contraction due to capacitative Ca2+ entry. Thiol oxidation by diamide significantly attenuated capacitative Ca2+ entry-induced PA contraction due to active and passive store depletion. The PA rings isolated from left and right PA branches appeared to respond differently to store depletion. Although the active tension induced by passive store depletion was comparable, the active tension induced by active store depletion was 3.5-fold greater in right branches than in left branches. These data indicate that thiol oxidation causes pulmonary vasodilation by activating K+ channels and inhibiting store-operated Ca2+ channels, which subsequently attenuate Ca2+ influx and decrease cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. The mechanisms involved in thiol oxidation-mediated pulmonary vasodilation or activation of K+ channels and inhibition of store-operated Ca2+ channels appear to be independent of functional endothelium and of the cGMP-dependent protein kinase pathway.

Roles of K+ and Cl-Channels in Camp-Induced Pulmonary Vasodilation

Increase in intracellular adenosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) is a common pathway for many clinically used drugs to cause pulmonary artery (PA) relaxation. Activity of sarcolemmal K+ and Cl--channels is an important determinant of membrane potential (Em), which, in turn, plays a critical role in regulating pulmonary vascular tone. Whether K+ and Cl-channels were involved in cAMP-induced PA relaxation was tested using isolated rat PA rings. Raising extracellular K+ concentration from 20 to 142.7 mM increased the K+-evoked contraction, but significantly decreased the relaxation induced by the adenylate cyclase activator, forskolin (FSK, 2.5 μM), suggesting that FSK-induced PA relaxation depended on transmembrane K+ gradient. Indeed, the FSK-induced relaxation was inhibited by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP, 10 mM), a voltage-gated K+ (KV) channel blacker. Neither the Ca2+-activated K+ channel blacker, charybdotoxin, nor the ATP-sensitive K+ channel blocker, glibenclamide, had this effect. Furthermore, reducing extracellular Cl-concentration from 142. 7 to 50 mM significantly decreased the FSK-induced relaxation in PA rings precontracted with 142. 7 mM K+ (EK ± 0 mV), but negligibly affected the evoked contraction. This indicates that transmembrane Cl-gradient also regulates FSK-induced PA relaxation. Indeed, the Cl-channel blocker, 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid (NPPB, 10 μM), significantly inhibited the FSK-induced relaxation, in PA rings preconstricted by 142.7 mM K+. In summary, the data suggest that the cAMP-induced PA relaxation is attributable, at least partly, to both activation of the 4-AP-sensitive KV channels and stimulation of the NPPB-sensitive Cl-channels.

Differential effect of nitric oxide synthase inhibitors on acetylcholine-induced relaxation of rat pulmonary and celiac artery rings

The effect of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) and N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) on acetylcholine (ACh) induced relaxation of rat intrapulmonary artery and celiac artery ring segments was studied in vitro with and without meclofenamate pretreatment. L-NMMA, and to a lesser extent L-NAME, raised baseline tone more in pulmonary than celiac arteries. Pretreatment of pulmonary and celiac artery rings with meclofenamate did not alter this contractile effect. Pulmonary artery and celiac artery ring segments were precontracted with phenylephrine, and cumulative concentration-relaxation curves to ACh were obtained before and after incubation of the rings with L-NAME or L-NMMA. L-NAME inhibited the ACh-induced relaxation of pulmonary arterial rings at 10000 fold lower concentrations than those needed to only partly inhibit the ACh-induced relaxation of celiac artery rings. L-NMMA (10-300 microM) inhibited the ACh-induced relaxation of pulmonary arterial rings in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas L-NMMA (300 microM) only partially inhibited the ACh-induced relaxation of celiac artery rings. The inhibition of ACh-induced relaxation by L-NAME and to a lesser extent by L-NMMA was more when pulmonary and celiac artery rings were pretreated with meclofenamate (1.0 microM). These results suggest that in the pulmonary artery nitric oxide plays a greater role in the modulation of baseline vascular tone and ACh-induced relaxation than in the celiac artery. In addition, cyclooxygenase products do not contribute to the direct contractile responses to L-NAME and L-NMMA in both the pulmonary and celiac artery rings but do modulate the ACh-induced relaxation of these vessels.

Alterations in pulmonary artery tone during repeated episodes of hypoxia.

To examine the basis of pulmonary constriction during chronic hypoxia, rat pulmonary artery rings were precontracted and exposed to multiple episodes of hypoxia. The first hypoxic episode resulted in a transient contraction, followed by potent relaxation, and then a slow sustained contraction. Repeated hypoxic exposure resulted in stronger initial contraction and attenuated relaxation. Prolongation of the normoxic interval between hypoxic episodes reversed the attenuation of hypoxic relaxation. Pulmonary artery rings that were deendothelialized or treated with the nitric oxide synthesis inhibitor N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester or oxyhemoglobin displayed only hypoxic relaxation without initial or late contractions and no attenuation of relaxation during repeated hypoxia. Pretreatment of rings with indomethacin or adenosine or endothelin receptor antagonists had no effect on the hypoxia-mediated alterations. Thus repetitive exposure to hypoxia results in an increase in initial contraction and a decrease in relaxation of pulmonary artery rings. Frequency of hypoxic episodes and endothelial integrity determine pulmonary tone during repeated hypoxia. However, cyclooxygenase products, adenosine, or endothelin do not play a role in hypoxia-mediated changes in rat pulmonary artery tone.

Endothelin-3 is a potent pulmonary vasodilator in the rat.

The properties of endothelin-3 (ET-3) were investigated in isolated pulmonary artery rings and isolated blood-perfused lungs of the rat. ET-3 elicited a concentration-dependent relaxation of pulmonary artery rings, and effect inhibited by the nitric oxide synthesis inhibitor L-NG-monomethyl-L-arginine. At 0.1 microM, the response to ET-3 was biphasic, resulting in a sustained contraction. In the isolated lung, ET-3 caused a dose-dependent increase in pulmonary arterial pressure. In lungs ventilated with 3% oxygen, 10 nM ET-3 completely reversed the resultant hypoxic vasoconstriction (HPV) by 100 +/- 8%, an effect unchanged by either indomethacin (1 microM) or glibenclamide (10 microM). L-NG-monomethyl-L-arginine attenuated both the ET-3 dilation in prostaglandin F2 alpha-constricted lungs and the dose-dependent vasodilation of HPV by acetylcholine. ET-3 (10 nM) showed the response time to peak pulmonary arterial pressure generation by hypoxia, the size of the response being unchanged. These results demonstrate that ET-3 has both vasodilator and constrictor actions in the rat lung and that, like acetylcholine, the former is mediated in part via the release of nitric oxide. ET-3 also has the ability to modulate HPV.