Vasorelaxation responses to insulin in laminar vessel rings from healthy, lean horses.

Hyperinsulinemia causes laminitis experimentally and is a risk factor for naturally occurring laminitis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of insulin on laminar vascular relaxation and to induce insulin-associated vascular dysfunction in vitro. Relaxation responses of isolated laminar arterial and venous rings to acetylcholine and insulin were evaluated. To alter vascular function in response to insulin, all vessel rings were incubated with insulin or vehicle, submaximally contracted, administered insulin again and relaxation responses recorded. Laminar arteries were also incubated with the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor, PD-98059. Relaxation in response to acetylcholine was not different between arteries and veins, but veins relaxed less in response to insulin than arteries. In arteries incubated with insulin, the subsequent relaxation response to insulin was blunted. Veins had minimal relaxation to insulin regardless of incubation. Arteries incubated with PD-98059 relaxed more in response to insulin than arteries not exposed to PD-98059, indicating that MAPK plays a role in maintenance of basal tone in laminar arteries. A differing response of laminar veins and arteries to insulin-induced relaxation may be important in understanding the link between hyperinsulinemia and laminitis. In vitro induction of vascular dysfunction in response to insulin in laminar arteries may be useful for testing therapeutic interventions and for understanding the pathophysiology of laminitis.

Insulin resistance in equine digital vessel rings: an in vitro model to study vascular dysfunction in equine laminitis.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: One of the causes of equine laminitis is hyperinsulinaemia, which may be associated with endothelial dysfunction and insulin resistance of vessels. HYPOTHESIS AND OBJECTIVES: Insulin resistance can be induced in palmar digital vessels by continued exposure to insulin in vitro. The objective was to evaluate this in vitro model for future studies. METHODS: Palmar digital vessel segments were collected immediately after euthanasia from horses with normal insulin/glucose blood values. Four arterial and 4 venous rings (3 mm wide) were prepared and each ring mounted in a tissue bath, containing Tyrode's solution at 37°C, 2 g tension was applied and the rings allowed to equilibrate for 45 min. Of the 4 rings of each vessel type, one was used as a control. One each of the remaining 3 rings was used for incubation with insulin (to induce resistance), wortmannin (to block PI3-kinase) and PD-098059 (to block MAP-kinase), respectively, for 30 min. After the incubation period, the rings were contracted with phenylephrine. When the response reached a plateau, a single dose of insulin was added to the baths and the response of each ring monitored for 30 min. RESULTS: Insulin relaxed the control rings and those treated with PD 098059 but contracted those pretreated with insulin and wortmannin. Normal relaxation responses of the rings were converted to contractions by insulin resistance. Insulin resistance was confirmed by the qualitative response of insulin-incubated and wortmannin-incubated rings. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated successful induction of insulin resistance in both arterial and venous rings. It also suggested that the MAP-kinase pathway plays a minor role in controlling vasomotor tone under normal physiological conditions. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: The study suggests that the induction of insulin resistance in equine palmar digital vessel rings is reliable and provides a good in vitro model for studying the vascular insulin resistance which may occur in equine laminitis.

Plasma and pulmonary fluid endothelin in horses with seasonal recurrent airway obstruction.

BACKGROUND: Summer pasture-associated recurrent airway obstruction (SPA-RAO), a seasonal airway obstructive disease of horses, is characterized by clinical exacerbation after exposure to pasture during warm months of the year. Endothelin (ET)-1, potent bronchoconstrictor, mitogen, secretagogue, and proinflammatory mediator, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma and equine heaves. HYPOTHESIS: Immunoreactive ET-1 concentrations increase during clinical exacerbation and return to basal values during periods of disease remission. ANIMALS: Twelve horses, 6 affected with SPA-RAO and 6 nonaffected. METHODS: Prospective, observational study. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), arterial and venous plasma samples, and clinical variables were obtained from affected horses during clinical exacerbation and remission. Samples and data of nonaffected horses were collected during the summer and winter on dates similar to affected horses. Immunoreactive ET-1 was determined using a commercial ELISA. RESULTS: The median and range ET-1 concentrations (pg/ml) in arterial (1.3, 0.7-1.8) and venous (1.3, 1.2-1.7) plasma and in BALF (0.3, 0.2-0.4), and pulmonary epithelial lining fluid (PELF) (25.5, 21-50) were greater in affected horses during clinical exacerbation compared with remission (P < .01). The concentrations of immunoreactive ET-1 were greater in affected horses during clinical exacerbation compared with nonaffected horses (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: During clinical exacerbation of SPA-RAO, ET-1 is increased in circulation and pulmonary secretions. Intervention with ET receptor antagonists should provide further information on the role of ET-1 in SPA-RAO.

Concentrations of nitric oxide in equine preovulatory follicles before and after administration of human chorionic gonadotropin.

In the present study, follicular fluids of estrous mares treated with saline solution (Control) or nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors were analyzed for nitric oxide (NO), estradiol-17beta (E2) and progesterone (P4) concentrations before and 36h after administration of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Follicular fluids obtained before (0h) hCG administration from control mares had lower concentrations of NO than those obtained 36h after administration of hCG (58.3+/-17.8 micromol versus 340.4+/-57.7 micromol; P<0.05). A similar pattern was also noted for intrafollicular P4 in control mares, which had lower concentrations of intrafollicular P4 before hCG than 36h post-hCG administration (P<0.05). As expected, E2 concentrations of control follicles sampled before hCG administration were higher than those sampled 36h post-hCG administration (P<0.05). However, the E2 concentrations in follicles of mares treated with the NOS inhibitors N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or aminoguanidine (AG) did not decrease after hCG administration, unlike those in control mares (P>0.10). In addition, mares treated with NOS inhibitors had lower intrafollicular concentrations of NO and P4 than control mares, both before and after hCG administration (P<0.05). Increased intrafollicular concentrations of NO in control, hCG-stimulated mares provide evidence for the presence of an NO-generating system in the equine preovulatory follicle that is likely upregulated following administration of hCG.

Non-adrenergic non-cholinergic excitatory innervation in the airways: role of neurokinin-2 receptors.

1 The hypothesis that the non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic excitatory (NANC-e) innervation is involved in the induction of asthma and that antagonists of NANC-e neurotransmitter could reduce bronchoconstriction during asthma was tested. 2 The first objective was to identify the neurotransmitter(s) of NANC-e innervation from a group of selected putative neurotransmitters. The second objective was to use the antagonist of the identified neurotransmitter(s) to determine its effectiveness against bronchoconstriction to ovalbumin (OVA) in sensitized guinea-pigs. 3 Neurotransmitter identification was performed using the "tracheal pouch"', a surgical preparation established for demonstrating NANC innervation, in anaesthetized guinea-pig airways. A segment of trachea was cannulated and clamped at one end and the other end was connected to a pressure transducer. The stump of the trachea was connected to a ventilator to keep the blood gas values within the normal range. The vagus nerve and the sympathetic nerves were isolated bilaterally and cut. The left carotid artery was cannulated to monitor blood pressure and for sampling blood for blood gas analysis. The jugular vein was cannulated for administration of test agents. 4 Both NANC-e and NANC-i (inhibitory) control responses of airways were obtained by bilateral vagal stimulation after complete autonomic blockade with atropine, propranolol and prazosin. The relaxation of the tracheal pouch was indicative of the NANC-i response and the increase in insufflation pressure of the ventilated peripheral airways was due to NANC-e stimulation. 5 The involvement of the putative neurotransmitters such as neurokinin-A (NK-A), histamine, serotonin and endothelin (ET) was investigated by using the respective antagonists, MEN-10376, pyrilamine maleate, cyproheptadine hydrochloride, and two ET receptor antagonists (BQ-123 and IRL-1038), respectively. The antagonists were administered at the dose rate of 4 mg kg-1 i.v. which was determined from preliminary studies by testing against the respective agonists. 6 MEN-10376 (neurokinin-2 receptor antagonist) significantly inhibited the insufflation pressure (peripheral airway pressure) increase caused by NANC-e stimulation. MEN-10376 also inhibited the fall in blood pressure caused by bilateral vagal stimulation. The 5-HT antagonist, cyproheptadine, significantly enhanced the NANC-e response. 7 After identifying the NANC-e neurotransmitter as NK-A, the effectiveness of its antagonist, MEN-10376, was evaluated for its ability to attenuate the increase in insufflation pressure (bronchoconstriction) induced in guinea-pigs sensitized by OVA. Guinea-pigs were sensitized to OVA (200 mg i.p.) and 10 days later prepared for the determination of tracheal pouch and insufflation responses to 100 microg of OVA administered i.v. (challenge dose). This caused an increase in insufflation pressure in the presence of adrenergic and cholinergic blockade, which was significantly attenuated by MEN-10376. 8 These studies indicated that neurokinin-2 receptors were involved in the vagally mediated efferent neurotransmission of NANC-e and that NANC-e plays a role in allergen-induced bronchoconstriction.

Intestinal bioavailability and biotransformation of 3-hydroxybenzo(a)pyrene in an isolated perfused preparation from channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus.

The intestinal bioavailability and biotransformation of 3-hydroxybenzo(a)pyrene, a major metabolite of benzo(a)pyrene in many animal species, was investigated in an in situ isolated intestinal preparation from the channel catfish, and in vitro with preparations of catfish intestine and blood. 3-Hydroxybenzo(a)pyrene was a good substrate for adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS)-sulfotransferase and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase in cytosol or microsomes prepared from intestinal mucosa. The benzo(a)pyrene-3-glucuronide and 3-sulfate conjugates were only very slowly hydrolyzed by intestinal beta-glucuronidase and sulfatase. The K(m) values for PAPS-sulfotransferase and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase were 0.4 and 1 microM, respectively, and V(max) were 1.61 +/- 1.08 nmol benzo(a)pyrene-3-sulfate/min/mg of cytosolic protein and 1.08 +/- 0.54 nmol benzo(a)pyrene-3-glucuronide/min/mg of microsomal protein. Hydrolytic enzyme activities were three orders of magnitude slower. In the in situ intestinal preparation, [(3)H]3-hydroxybenzo(a)pyrene was readily metabolized to the glucuronide and sulfate conjugates. After 1 h of incubation of 2 or 20 microM [(3)H]3-hydroxybenzo(a)pyrene in the in situ preparation, the luminal contents contained 3-hydroxybenzo(a)pyrene, benzo(a)pyrene-3,6-dione, benzo(a)pyrene-3-sulfate, and benzo(a)pyrene-3-glucuronide. Mucosal samples contained these components, as well as some unextractable material. The blood contained mainly benzo(a)pyrene-3-sulfate and an as yet unidentified metabolite of 3-hydroxybenzo(a)pyrene bound to hemoglobin. Some, but not all, blood samples contained small amounts of 3-hydroxybenzo(a)pyrene, benzo(a)pyrene-3-glucuronide, and benzo(a)pyrene-3,6-dione. These studies demonstrate the rapid phase 2 conjugation of a phenolic benzo(a)pyrene metabolite in intestinal mucosa, and the transfer of the phase 2 sulfate and glucuronide conjugates to blood.

In vitro pharmacologic effect of two endothelin-1 antagonists on equine colonic arteries and veins.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of 2 potential endothelin (ET)-1 antagonists in blocking the contractile responses of equine colonic vessels to increasing concentrations of ET-1. SAMPLE POPULATION: Mesenteric vessels from 6 clinically healthy horses. PROCEDURE: Colonic vessels (arterial and venous rings) were placed in organ baths with oxygenated Tyrode solution at 37 C. Each was attached to a force transducer interfaced with a polygraph, and 2 g of tension was applied and equilibrated for 45 minutes. Then, B-1 (PD 142893) and B-2 (PD 145065) ET-1 antagonists were tested. One ring from each vessel type was used as a control for determining concentration-response relationships of ET-1 (10(-10) to 10(-6)M). Three rings of each vessel type were incubated with 3 concentrations of each antagonist (10(-7), 10(-6), and 10(-5) M) for 30 minutes before ET induced contractions were determined. The maximum contractile response and pA2 values were determined. RESULTS: Vessels contracted in a concentration-dependent manner to ET-1. Arteries responded slowly but reached greater contractions. Veins responded immediately with sustained contractions. Both antagonists inhibited contractions in a concentration-dependent manner with significant differences at 10(-6) and 10(-5)M for arteries and 10(-5) M for veins. Complete blockade of contractions was observed with B-2 (10(-5)M). The pA2 values for B-1 were 8.26 and 6.82 for arteries and veins, respectively, whereas they were 8.25 and 7.21 for B-2. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Both antagonists effectively blocked ET-1-induced contractions of equine colonic vessels. Because B-2 is water soluble and caused complete blockade at 10(-5) M, it appears to be the preferred antagonist.

Comparative responses of bronchial rings to mediators of airway hyperreactivity in healthy horses and those affected with summer pasture-associated obstructive pulmonary disease.

OBJECTIVE: To compare responses of bronchial rings obtained from healthy horses and horses affected with summer pasture-associated obstructive pulmonary disease (SPAOPD) to selected mediators of airway hyperreactivity in vitro. SAMPLE POPULATION: Bronchial rings from 6 healthy horses and 6 horses affected with SPAOPD. PROCEDURE: Bronchial rings obtained from each group of horses were mounted in organ baths and attached to force transducers interfaced with a polygraph. After applying 2g of tension, each ring was allowed to equilibrate for 45 minutes in Tyrode's solution at 37 C. Cumulative concentration-response relationships to graded concentrations of selected mediators (10(-8) to 10(-4) M) were determined and analyzed for significance at each concentration. RESULTS: Acetylcholine, histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and leukotriene D4 induced concentration-dependent contractile responses in bronchial rings. Prostaglandin F2alpha induced weak and inconsistent contractile responses. The other 2 agents, norepinephrine and substance P, did not induce concentration-dependent responses. Considering the overall group-drug effect, acetylcholine, histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and leukotriene D4 were effective in inducing consistent concentration-dependent contractile responses in both groups. Only 5-hydroxytryptamine and histamine induced significant responses in contractility between groups. The response of bronchial rings from horses with SPAOPD to 5-hydroxytryptamine was significantly greater than those from control horses, whereas the response to histamine was significantly lower. Significant responses were evident at concentrations ranging from 10(-6) to 10(-4) M for both drugs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Because the airways of horses with SPAOPD had increased responsiveness to 5-hydroxytryptamine in vitro, treatment modalities using 5-hydroxytryptamine antagonists should be investigated to address this phenomenon.

In vitro responses of equine colonic arterial and venous rings to adenosine triphosphate.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the in vitro effects of adenosine tryphosphate (ATP) on vasomotor tone of equine colonic vasculature. SAMPLE POPULATION: Arteries and veins from the left ventral colon of 14 mixed-breed horses euthanatized for reasons unrelated to cardiovascular or gastrointestinal tract disease. PROCEDURES: Endothelium-intact and -denuded arterial and venous rings were precontracted with 10(-7) and 1.8 x 10(-8) M endothelin-1, respectively. In 1 trial, endothelium-intact rings were also incubated with 10(-4) M N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) to inhibit nitric oxide (NO) production. Adenosine triphosphate (10(-8) to 10(-3) M) was added in a noncumulative manner, and relaxation percentage versus time curves were generated. Areas under the curves (ie, percentage of relaxation time) were calculated. RESULTS: Relaxation response of arterial and venous rings to ATP was dose-dependent. Percentage of relaxation time in response to 10(-4) and 10(-3) MATP was significantly greater, compared with that for rings not treated with ATP Removal of endothelium attenuated but did not eliminate the relaxation response. Addition of L-NAME did not attenuate the relaxation response in arteries. At higher concentrations, the vascular response to ATP was biphasic. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: ATP applied to equine colonic arterial and venous rings with and without intact endothelium induced a biphasic response characterized by transient contraction followed by slow, substantial, and sustained relaxation. This ATP-induced response is possibly mediated by a mechanism other than NO. Adenosine triphosphate may be a useful treatment to modulate colonic vasomotor tone in horses with strangulating volvulus of the ascending colon.

Effect of micelle fatty acid composition and 3,4,3', 4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (TCB) exposure on intestinal [(14)C]-TCB bioavailability and biotransformation in channel catfish in situ preparations.

Polychlorinated biphenyls are transferred in the diet along aquatic food chains. This study investigated the effect of dietary micelle composition and 3,4,3',4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (TCB) exposure upon the subsequent systemic bioavailability and intestinal metabolism of [(14)C]-TCB in a catfish in situ intestinal preparation. Initial in vitro experiments examined the solubility of [(14)C]-TCB in micelles of varying fatty acid composition. Micelles composed of single fatty acids demonstrated greater [(14)C]-TCB solubility with those fatty acids of longer chain length. Similarly, micelles of the long-chain fatty acid, linoleic acid, solubilized more [(14)C]-TCB than mixed micelles formulated from equal amounts of myristic (14:0), palmitic (16:0), stearic (18:0), or linoleic (18:2) acids. Systemic bioavailability of [(14)C]-TCB (60 microM) from an in situ perfused intestinal preparation was 2.2-fold greater when delivered to the intestine in linoleic acid micelles as compared to the mixed micelle preparation. Catfish exposed in vivo to either 0.5 or 5.0 mg TCB/kg feed for 10 days resulted in a 45 to 47% decrease in the subsequent systemic bioavailability of [(14)C]-TCB in the in situ intestinal preparation. Total intestinal cytochrome P450 content was not significantly affected by TCB preexposure. Immunodetectable CYP1A was found only in the 5.0 mg TCB/kg diet treatment. Corresponding intestinal aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activities were 2.46 +/- 1.16, 2.43 +/- 1.58, and 11.35 +/- 10.25 pmol/min/mg protein for the control, 0.5, and 5 mg TCB/kg diet groups, respectively. [(14)C]-TCB in the in situ preparation was metabolized to only a small degree upon a single pass through the intestinal mucosa of the catfish. High variability and low rates of metabolism precluded the association of the magnitude of metabolism with dietary TCB pretreatment. Analysis of tissue sample extracts demonstrated 4 minor peaks, 3 of which were tentatively identified by co-elution with standards as 2-OH-3,4,3',4'-TCB, 4-OH-3,5,3',4'-TCB, and 5-OH-3, 4,3',4'-TCB. A fourth remains unidentified. Histological changes in the intestine such as thinning of the submucosa and increased numbers of goblet cells were evident at the 5.0 mg TCB/kg diet dose. These results suggest that TCB intestinal bioavailability may be linked to micelle composition as well as TCB exposure history. Furthermore, single pass intestinal metabolism appears to be a minor contributor to the biotransformational modification of dietary TCB.

Contribution of nitric oxide synthases 1, 2, and 3 to airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation in a murine model of asthma.

Asthma is a chronic disease characterized by increased airway responsiveness and airway inflammation. The functional role of nitric oxide (NO) and the various nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms in human asthma is controversial. To investigate the role of NO in an established model of allergic asthma, mice with targeted deletions of the three known isoforms of NOS (NOS1, 2, and 3) were studied. Although the inducible (NOS2) isoform was significantly upregulated in the lungs of ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized and -challenged (OVA/OVA) wild-type (WT) mice and was undetectable in similarly treated NOS2-deficient mice, airway responsiveness was not significantly different between these groups. OVA/OVA endothelial (NOS3)-deficient mice were significantly more responsive to methacholine challenge compared with similarly treated NOS1 and NOS1&3-deficient mice. Airway responsiveness in OVA/OVA neuronal (NOS1)-deficient and neuronal/endothelial (NOS1&3) double-deficient mice was significantly less than that observed in similarly treated NOS2 and WT groups. These findings demonstrate an important function for the nNOS isoform in controlling the inducibility of airway hyperresponsiveness in this model of allergic asthma.