RESUMO
Impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation of blood vessels is a common feature in diabetes, but the exact underlying mechanisms have not yet been clarified. In present study, endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation of aortic rings were evaluated in vitro in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic and age-matched control rats. Moreover, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity of aortic endothelial cells was assessed in both diabetic and healthy rats using histochemical staining for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-diaphorase activity. The results showed a significant decrease of endothelium-dependent relaxation in response to acetylcholine (ACh) in diabetic rings, compared with controls, that was accompanied by a remarkable attenuation of NOS activity in diabetic sections of rat aorta stained for NADPH-diaphorase. Furthermore, a membrane disruption of some endothelial cells was also observed in all diabetic sections. It can be concluded that a decrease in NOS activity together with a disruption of endothelial cell membrane play a major role in endothelial dysfunction observed in diabetes.