Impact of cigarette smoking on nitric oxide-sensitive and nitric oxide-insensitive soluble guanylate cyclase-mediated vascular tone regulation.

Cigarette smoking induces vascular endothelial dysfunction characterized by impaired nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. There are two types of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), which is a cellular target of NO: NO-sensitive reduced form (the heme moiety with a ferrous iron) and NO-insensitive oxidized (the heme moiety with a ferric iron)/heme-free form. This study investigated the influence of cigarette smoking on NO-sensitive and NO-insensitive sGC-mediated vascular tone regulation in organ chamber experiments with isolated rat and human arteries. The rats were subcutaneously administered phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), nicotine-free cigarette smoke extract (N(-)-CSE) or nicotine-containing cigarette smoke extract (N(+)-CSE) for 4 weeks. Plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) levels were higher in the N(+)-CSE group than those in the N(-)-CSE group, and TBARS levels for these groups were higher than those for the PBS group. In the aorta and the pulmonary artery in rats administered N(-)-CSE or N(+)-CSE, acetylcholine-induced relaxation was significantly impaired compared with that in rats administered PBS; there was no significant difference in the relaxation between the N(-)-CSE and N(+)-CSE groups. However, sodium nitroprusside (NO-sensitive sGC stimulant)- and BAY 60-2770 (NO-insensitive sGC stimulant)-induced relaxations were not different among the three groups, regardless of the vessel type. In addition, in the human gastroepiploic artery, the relaxant responses to these sGC-targeting drugs were identical between nonsmokers and smokers. These findings suggest that NO-sensitive and NO-insensitive sGC-mediated vascular tone regulation functions normally even in blood vessels damaged by cigarette smoking.

Altered cyclooxygenase-1 and enhanced thromboxane receptor activities underlie attenuated endothelial dilatory capacity of omental arteries in obesity.

AIMS: Obesity is a risk factor for endothelial dysfunction, the severity of which is likely to vary depending on extent and impact of adiposity on the vasculature. This study investigates the roles of cyclooxygenase isoforms and thromboxane receptor activities in the differential endothelial dilatory capacities of arteries derived from omental and subcutaneous adipose tissues in obesity. MAIN METHODS: Small arteries were isolated from omental and subcutaneous adipose tissues obtained from consented morbidly obese patients (n = 65, BMI 45 ±â€¯6 kg m-2 [Mean ±â€¯SD]) undergoing bariatric surgery. Relaxation to acetylcholine was studied by wire myography in the absence or presence of indomethacin (10 µM, cyclooxygenase inhibitor), FR122047 (1 µM, cyclooxygenase-1 inhibitor), Celecoxib (4 µM, cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor), Nω-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 100 µM, nitric oxide synthase inhibitor) or combination of apamin (0.5 µM) and charybdotoxin (0.1 µM) that together inhibit endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF). Contractions to U46619 (thromboxane A2 mimetic) were also studied. KEY FINDINGS: Acetylcholine relaxation was significantly attenuated in omental compared with subcutaneous arteries from same patients (p < 0.01). Indomethacin (p < 0.01) and FR122047 (p < 0.001) but not Celecoxib significantly improved the omental arteriolar relaxation. Cyclooxygenase-1 mRNA and U46619 contractions were both increased in omental compared with subcutaneous arteries (p < 0.05). L-NAME comparably inhibited acetylcholine relaxation in both arteries, while apamin+charybdotoxin were less effective in omental compared with subcutaneous arteries. SIGNIFICANCE: The results show that the depot-specific reduction in endothelial dilatory capacity of omental compared with subcutaneous arteries in obesity is in large part due to altered cyclooxygenase-1 and enhanced thromboxane receptor activities, which cause EDHF deficiency.

Effects of a novel benzodiazepine derivative, JM-1232(-), on human gastroepiploic artery in vitro.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of JM-1232(-) on norepinephrine (10(-6) mol/L)- and high K(+) (40 mmol/L)-induced contractions in isolated human gastroepiploic arteries (GEA), and to compare them with the effects of midazolam and propofol. In addition, to investigate whether the benzodiazepine-receptor antagonist, flumazenil, or µ-opioid-receptor antagonist, naloxone, influenced the vascular effects of JM-1232(-). DESIGN: An in vitro experimental study. SETTING: University laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: GEA segments were used from 69 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: JM-1232(-) produced dose-dependent relaxation effects in the rings. Although these effects of JM-1232(-) were greater than those of midazolam and propofol at high concentrations (10(-5)-10(-4) mol/L), there were no significantly different relaxation effects at the clinical concentrations of 3 × 10(-6) mol/L JM-1232(-), 3 × 10(-6) mol/L midazolam, and 1 × 10(-5) mol/L propofol. In addition, all these effects were independent of the presence of a functional endothelium. Vasorelaxation induced by JM-1232(-) on norepinephrine-preconstricted GEA was inhibited by flumazenil, but not by naloxone. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that JM-1232(-) dose-dependently relaxes smooth muscle in human GEA, this effect being independent of the endothelium. Within the ranges of plasma concentrations achieved in clinical practice, JM-1232(-) had similar vasorelaxation effects to midazolam and propofol. JM-1232(-)-induced vasorelaxation was inhibited by flumazenil, indicating that JM-1232(-)-induced vasorelaxation occurred via peripheral benzodiazepine receptor activation in the GEA.

Skeletonization with an ultrasonic scalpel is as safe as a non-skeletonized dissection in preserving the endothelial function of the human gastroepiploic artery.

The right gastroepiploic artery (GEA) is frequently used as another in situ artery, other than the internal thoracic artery (ITA) in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Skeletonizing the graft with an ultrasonic scalpel is now regarded as a useful technique; however, this technique may damage the endothelial function during harvesting the graft resulting in postoperative graft stenosis or occlusion. In the present study, GEA segments from nine patients were excised in both a skeletonized and non-skeletonized manner with an ultrasonic scalpel, and then were transported to the laboratory. The vessels were trimmed as rings, and were allotted to the group of skeletonized or non-skeletonized, accordingly. The force development in response to 1 mumol/l norepinephrine did not differ between the skeletonized and non-skeletonized groups. Endothelium-dependent relaxation induced by either acetylcholine or bradykinin was not impaired in the skeletonized group in comparison to the non-skeletonized group. No significant difference was observed in endothelium-independent relaxation elicited by sodium nitroprusside. Therefore, the skeletonization of the GEA with an ultrasonic scalpel was thus found to be as safe as a non-skeletonized dissection in preserving the vascular contractile ability or endothelium-dependent and -independent relaxation of the graft.

Aspirin and COX-2 inhibitor nimesulide potentiate adrenergic contractions of human gastroepiploic artery.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the intervention of COX-1- and COX-2-derived prostaglandins in the responses of human gastroepiploic artery to sympathetic stimulation and norepinephrine. METHODS: Rings of human gastroepiploic artery were obtained from 45 patients (26 men and 19 women) undergoing gastrectomy. The rings were suspended in organ baths for isometric recording of tension. We studied the responses to electrical field stimulation, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine, in the absence and presence of COX-1 or COX-2 inhibition. RESULTS: The COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitor aspirin at high concentrations (10(-6) to 10(-5) mol/L) and the COX-2 inhibitor nimesulide (10(-6) mol/L) potentiated the contractile responses of the arterial rings to sympathetic neurogenic stimulation and norepinephrine. In contrast, lower concentrations of aspirin (10(-8) to 10(-7) mol/L) or the COX-1 inhibitor SC-560 (3 x10(-8) mol/L) did not affect these responses. The vascular relaxation induced by acetylcholine was not affected by COX-1 and COX-2 inhibition. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide functional evidence that vasodilator prostaglandins are active components of the response of human gastroepiploic artery to neurogenic stimulation and norepinephrine. Aspirin at high concentrations and the COX-2 selective inhibitor nimesulide potentiated the contractile response of gastroepiploic artery to adrenergic stimulation by inhibiting COX-2-derived PGI(2). Aspirin at low concentrations and the COX-1 selective inhibitor SC-560 did not modify the contractile responses, possibly due to minor importance of vasoconstrictor prostaglandins (TXA(2)) as active components of the response of gastroepiploic artery to adrenergic stimulation.

Effects of a phosphodiesterase 3 inhibitor, olprinone, on rhythmical change in tension of human gastroepiploic artery.

The gastroepiploic artery, used widely as a conduit in coronary artery bypass grafting, has high vasospasticity. The aims of this study were to examine the vasorelaxant effects of three phosphodiesterase 3 (PDE3) inhibitors, olprinone, milrinone and amrinone, on isolated gastroepiploic arterial preparations in comparison with a calcium channel blocker diltiazem, and to confirm the mRNA expression of PDE3A isoenzyme using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in the human gastroepiploic artery isolated from stomach removed in cancer surgery. In endothelium-denuded gastroepiploic arterial preparations, phenylephrine (100 microM) produced spontaneous, rhythmical changes in tension consisting of repeated contraction and relaxation. Olprinone at a concentration of 10 microM (n=6) significantly inhibited the frequency (2.7+/-1.1 times/30 min vs. 6.2+/-0.7 times/30 min in the vehicle group), maximum tension (1.7+/-0.6 g vs. 3.6+/-0.6 g in the vehicle group) and minimum tension (0.6+/-0.2 g vs. 1.7+/-0.3 g in the vehicle group) of rhythmical changes. Such potency is comparable to that of diltiazem, but is stronger than milrinone and amrinone. RT-PCR using PDE3A- or PDE3B-specific oligonucleotide primer demonstrated the existence of PDE3A sequence in the gastroepiploic artery. These results suggest that olprinone, a potent PDE3A inhibitor, would be suitable for protecting against perioperative spasm during coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Differential pharmacologic sensitivities of phosphodiesterase-3 inhibitors among human isolated gastroepiploic, internal mammary, and radial arteries.

UNLABELLED: Systematic investigations of the actions of phosphodiesterase (PDE)-3 inhibitors on different human vascular tissues have not been performed. We investigated the effects of specific PDE-3 inhibitors (olprinone, milrinone, and amrinone) on contracted human gastroepiploic arteries (n = 70), internal mammary arteries (n = 72), and radial arteries (n = 70) harvested from a total of 134 patients, all of whom were undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. Each of these PDE-3 inhibitors dose-dependently diminished the contractile responses to 10(-6) mol/L norepinephrine and to either 10(-9) or 10(-8) mol/L of the thromboxane A2 analog U46619. In inducing vasorelaxations, these inhibitors were significantly more potent in norepinephrine-contracted rings than in those contracted with U46619. Further, at concentrations similar to the maximum therapeutic plasma concentrations (10(-7) mol/L olprinone; 10(-6) mol/L milrinone; 10(-5) mol/L amrinone) olprinone and milrinone were more potent at inducing relaxations than amrinone in gastroepiploic arteries and radial arteries, whereas in internal mammary arteries milrinone was more potent than the others. These results suggest different activities for the three PDE-3 inhibitors among human arteries located in different regions and may be informative about the effectiveness of these inhibitors in preventing spasms in the various arterial grafts used in revascularization. IMPLICATIONS: Because three phosphodiesterase-3 inhibitors (milrinone, olprinone, and amrinone) differed in their vasodilator potencies (against the contractile response to either norepinephrine or a thromboxane A2 analog) among human arteries removed from different parts of the body, their vascular relaxation profiles should be considered before they are used clinically.

Neurogenic double-peaked vasoconstriction of human gastroepiploic artery is mediated by both alpha1- and alpha2-adrenoceptors.

1. The contribution of postjunctional P2X receptors and subtypes of alpha-adrenoceptors to vasoconstrictor responses following periarterial electrical nerve stimulation (PNS, 30 s trains of pulses at a frequency of 2, 4 or 8 Hz) was investigated in human gastroepiploic arteries. 2. The vasoconstrictor response to PNS at a stimulation of 4 or 8 Hz was a two-peaked response, whereas at a frequency of 2 Hz it appeared only as a late peak. All vasoconstrictions evoked by PNS were abolished by phentolamine, a nonselective alpha-adrenoceptor inhibitor, but not by alpha,beta-methylene ATP, a P2X receptor-desensitizing agent. 3. The early peak to PNS at 4 or 8 Hz was abolished by prazosin, an alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonist, while the late one still remained, although it was markedly inhibited. The responses remaining after prazosin were blocked by rauwolscine. The vasoconstrictor response to PNS at 2 Hz was not affected by prazosin (0.1 microM), but was abolished by rauwolscine (0.1 microM), an alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonist. 4. OPC-28326 (10 microM), a newly developed vasodilator, which preferentially exerts its antagonistic actions on the alpha2B- and alpha2C-adrenoceptors, significantly reduced the noradrenaline-induced vasoconstriction in the absence or presence of prazosin. OPC-28326 had a greater inhibitory effect on the late peak evoked by PNS than the early one. The neurogenic responses remaining after OPC-28326 were abolished by prazosin. 5. The present results suggest that sympathetic vasoconstriction of the human gastroepiploic artery is mediated by both alpha1- and alpha2-adrenoceptors postjunctionally, but not by P2X receptors. The alpha2-adrenoceptors may be preferentially activated at a low frequency of stimulation, which induces a constriction more slowly than that by alpha1-adrenoceptors. The existence of alpha2-adrenoceptors may cause an enhancement of alpha1-adrenoceptor-induced responses.

The variable effects of dopamine among human isolated arteries commonly used for coronary bypass grafts.

UNLABELLED: The direct actions of dopamine on human arterial coronary bypass grafts are not well known. We investigated its effects on isolated rings cut from radial arteries (RA), gastroepiploic arteries (GEA), and internal mammary arteries (IMA) harvested from patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. Dopamine produced dose-dependent contractile responses in RA, an effect independent of the presence of a functional endothelium. The contractions were enhanced by the dopamine A(1) (DA(1))-receptor antagonist SCH23390, whereas they were blocked by an alpha(1)-adrenergic antagonist, prazosin. Results qualitatively similar to these were obtained in both GEA and IMA, although the contractile responses were far smaller. In RA, DA enhanced the norepinephrine (NE)-induced contraction, and this action of dopamine was enhanced by SCH23390. In GEA, small concentrations (<10(-7) mol/L) of DA attenuated the NE-induced contraction but larger concentrations did not. In IMA, DA induced a vasorelaxation on the NE-contraction only at higher concentrations (10(-6)-10(-5) mol/L). In both GEA and IMA, the dopamine-induced vasorelaxations on the NE contraction were completely inhibited by SCH23390. These results suggest that the affinities of DA for DA(1)- and alpha(1)-adrenergic receptors may explain its variable contractile and vasorelaxant effects among these arteries. IMPLICATIONS: Differing affinities of dopamine for dopamine A(1)- and alpha(1)-adrenergic receptors may lead to it having variable contractile and vasorelaxant effects among the arteries supplying grafts for coronary bypass surgery.

Purinergic and adrenergic cotransmission in canine isolated and perfused gastroepiploic arteries.

1. The vasoconstrictor responses of canine gastroepiploic artery to periarterial electrical nerve stimulation (PNS; 30 s trains of pulses at a frequency of 2, 4 or 8 Hz) were observed in a frequency dependent manner. The PNS-induced vasoconstrictions were abolished by tetrodotoxin (1 micromol/L) and mostly depressed but not completely by guanethidine (10 micromol/L). 2. Vasoconstrictor responses to administered noradrenaline were antagonized significantly by prazosin (0.1 micromol/L), an alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonist, but were not significantly affected by suramin (100 micromol/L), a P2 purinoceptor antagonist, or alpha,beta-methylene ATP (1 micromol/L), a P2X receptor desensitizing agent. Exogenous ATP-induced responses were clearly depressed by suramin or alpha,beta-methylene ATP, but were not significantly affected by prazosin. 3. The vasoconstrictor responses to PNS at a low frequency (2 and 4 Hz) of stimulation were markedly inhibited by suramin (100 micromol/L) and by alpha,beta-methylene ATP (1 micromol/L). The remaining responses after suramin or alpha,beta-methylene ATP were abolished by subsequent application of prazosin (0.1 micromol/L). At a high frequency (8 Hz) of stimulation, the vascular response was not significantly inhibited by suramin or alpha,beta-methylene ATP, but it was abolished by prazosin. 4. Injection of xylazine (0.3-30 nmol/L), an alpha2-adrenoceptor agonist, did not induce any clear vasoconstriction. The exposure of tissues to rauwolscine (0.1-0.3 micromol/L), an alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonist, dose-dependently increased PNS-induced vasoconstrictions at all frequencies tested. 5. The present results indicate that ATP acts as a cotransmitter with noradrenaline and is responsible for post-junctional vasoconstrictor responses at low frequencies of sitmulation, whereas the effect of noradrenaline is dominant at high-frequency stimulation in canine gastroepiploic artery. Prejunctional alpha2-adrenoceptor autoinhibition may modulate the release of either noradrenaline or ATP from sympathetic nerve terminals.

Functional alpha1-adrenergic receptor subtypes in human right gastroepiploic artery.

AIM: To study the functional alpha1-adrenergic receptor (alpha1-AR) subtypes in human right gastroepiploic artery (RGA). METHODS: The effects of alpha2-AR, alpha1-AR, and alpha1-AR subtype selective antagonists on norepinephrine (NE)-induced vasoconstriction in isolated human RGA were observed by contractile function experiment. RESULTS: Cumulative concentration-response curves for NE were competitively antagonized in RGA by alpha2-AR selective antagonist yohimbine (pA2 6.82+/-0.28, slope 1.12+/-0.40),alpha1-AR selective antagonist prazosin (pA2 9.77+/-0.22, slope 0.90+/-0.22),alpha1A-AR selective antagonists RS17053 (pA2 8.42+/-0.20, slope 0.93+/-0.20) and 5-MU (pA2 8.42+/-0.22, slope 0.88+/-0.18),alpha1D-AR selective antagonist BMY7378 (pA2 6.84+/-0.32, slope 1.05+/-0.17), and alpha1A-,alpha1B-AR selective antagonist WB4101 (pA2 8.88+/-0.20, slope 1.15+/-0.16). The correlation coefficients between these pA2 values of alpha1-AR selective antagonists with pKi values of which obtained from alpha1A-, alpha1B- and alpha1D-AR cloned cells are 0.95, 0.82, and 0.42. After the vessels were pretreated by chlorethylclonidine (CEC), an alpha1B- and alpha1D-AR irreversible alkylating agent, the pD2 values were changed from 5.9+/-0.5 to 5.6+/-0.6 and the maximal contraction was changed from (8.9+/-3.2) g to (8.0+/-3.2) g, respectively. The difference was not significant. CONCLUSION: In human RGA, the contraction response is mainly mediated by alpha1-AR, of which alpha1A-AR plays an important role, whereas alpha1B- and alpha1D-AR are not involved in the contraction response.

Existence of alpha-adrenoceptor subtypes in isolated human gastroepiploic and omental arteries.

Establishing the existence of alpha-adrenoceptor subtypes in isolated human gastroepiploic and omental arteries was the goal of the present study. Functional vascular reactivity of selective alpha(1)- and alpha(2)-adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists was studied, using a cannula inserting technique. Intraluminal administration of norepinephrine (NE), phenylephrine (PE) or BHT-933 caused a vasoconstrictive response in a dose-related manner. The relative potencies of the 3 agonists were almost the same in both arteries. NE-induced vasoconstrictions were significantly antagonized by either prazosin or rauwolscine. PE-induced responses were strongly inhibited by prazosin. BHT-933-induced constrictions were inhibited by rauwolscine. These results indicate that both alpha(1)- and alpha(2)-adrenoceptors exist in the human gastroepiploic and omental arteries.

Enhanced secretion of tissue plasminogen activator by simultaneous use of retinoic acid and ascorbic acid from tissue cultured gastroepiploic artery.

Tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) is a key enzyme in the fibrinolysis system and the regulation of its expression has been extensively studied in cultured vascular endothelial cells. Many kinds of supplements including growth factors are needed, however, to keep endothelial cells viable, which leads the culture condition far from the physiological milieu. Using a new device of amorphous calcium phosphate coated culture plate, we succeeded in culturing ring-cut gastroepiploic artery in a basic medium of RPMI 1640 containing 10% fetal calf serum. The overall normal vessel architecture and the antigenicity of von Willebrand factor, tPA and plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) were retained for at least 9 days. tPA was constantly secreted into the conditioned medium at least up to day 12. Employing this organ culture technique, we analyzed the effects of two well-known profibrinolytic vitamins of retinoic acid (Vit. A) and ascorbic acid (Vit. C) on the release of tPA and PAI-1. The cultured artery responded well and the tPA secretion was enhanced by factors of 1.5 fold by Vit. A, 1.7 fold by Vit C and 3.2 fold by their combination, whereas none of these stimuli increased PAI-1 secretion. These results suggested that the cultured ring-cut artery retained functional endothelial cells for at least 9 days and was suitable in analyzing the regulatory mechanism of protein synthesis and secretion from the vascular wall. Using this method, vitamins A and C were shown to lead the intravascular condition to a profibrinolytic state.