bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Separate parasympathetic control of heart rate and atrioventricular conduction of dogs
Authors: Wallick D. W. , Martin P. J.
Published: December 2017

In open-chest, autonomically decentralized, anesthetized dogs, a brief burst of electrical stimuli was delivered at various time delays to the right pulmonary vein (RPV) fat pad. This fat pad contains parasympathetic ganglia that innervate the sinoatrial (SA) node. Each burst elicited a bimodal increase in the cardiac cycle length (CCL) without eliciting a significant change in atrioventricular conduction time (AVCT). A similar burst was applied to the inferior vena cava-inferior left atrial fat pad. This fat pad contains nerves that innervate the AV node. This latter stimulation elicited a bimodal increase in AVCT without eliciting any change in the CCL. When the cervical vagi were stimulated in a similar manner, a bimodal increase in the CCL was elicited that was similar to the response we observed when the RPV fat pad was stimulated. In contrast, the dromotropic response was quite variable. In conclusion, we could, for the most part, elicit selective parasympathetic control of either the SA or the AV node, respectively.
Use of ionic currents to identify and estimate parameters in models of channel blockade
Authors: Starmer C. F. , Nesterenko V. V. , Gilliam F. R. , Grant A. O.
Published: December 2017

Models of ion channel blockade are frequently validated with observations of ionic currents resulting from electrical or chemical stimulation. Model parameters for some models (modulated receptor hypothesis) cannot be uniquely determined from ionic currents. The time course of ionic currents reflects the activation (fraction of available channels that conduct in the presence of excitation) and availability of channels (the ability of the protein to make a transition to a conducting conformation and where this conformation is not complexed with a drug). In the presence of a channel blocking agent, the voltage dependence of availability appears modified and has been interpreted as evidence that drug-complexed channels exhibit modified transition rates between channel protein conformations. Because blockade and availability both modify ionic currents, their individual contributions to macroscopic conductance cannot be resolved from ionic currents except when constant affinity binding to a bindable site is assumed. Experimental studies of nimodipine block of calcium channels and lidocaine block of sodium channels illustrate these concepts.
Captopril reduces left ventricular enlargement induced by chronic volume overload
Authors: Gay R. G.
Published: December 2017

The effect of captopril treatment on left ventricular (LV) function, mass, and volume during chronic volume overload induced by production of aortic insufficiency (AI) was studied. AI was caused by mechanical disruption of the aortic valve in 175- to 225-g male Sprague-Dawley rats. At 24 h after surgery, AI and sham-operated rats were divided into control and captopril treatment (2 g/l drinking water) groups. After 2 mo of treatment, hemodynamics were measured in open-chest rats, and the LV pressure-volume relation was determined ex vivo. Compared with sham-operated rats, in the untreated AI rats, aortic pulse pressure was increased nearly 100%, LV end-diastolic pressure was 10 +/- 1 vs 3 +/- 1 mmHg, and LV end-diastolic volume was 1.25 +/- 0.07 vs 0.36 +/- 0.03 ml. LV weight was increased 43% and the LV pressure-volume relation was shifted rightward by AI. LV systolic and diastolic wall stress were increased in rats with AI. Peak LV pressure during aortic occlusion was decreased in AI rats, however, peak wall stress during aortic occlusion was not different compared with sham-operated rats. Captopril treatment decreased aortic pulse pressure and LV systolic pressure. Both LV weight and LV end-diastolic volume measured from the ex vivo pressure-volume relation at LV end-diastolic pressure were increased by 33% in untreated AI rats compared with captopril-treated AI rats. Captopril treatment of AI rats shifted the LV pressure-volume to the left compared with untreated rats. LV pressure and wall stress during aortic occlusion were not changed in captopril-treated AI rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Flow stimulates endothelial cells to release a nitrovasodilator that is potentiated by reduced thiol
Authors: Cooke J. P. , Stamler J. , Andon N. , Davies P. F. , McKinley G. , Loscalzo J.
Published: December 2017

We designed a novel system to study flow-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilation. Vascular rings of rabbit thoracic aorta were mounted for isometric tension recording in a flow chamber filled with physiological saline solution. The flow chamber contained a stir bar and was mounted on a magnetic stirrer to induce vortical flow. Norepinephrine (NE, 10(-6) M) induced contraction of the vascular rings. Bovine endothelial cells on microcarrier beads added to the chamber had little effect on contraction to NE in the absence of flow. Flow induced endothelium-dependent relaxation of the vascular rings that was dependent on the flow rate. Relaxations were annulled or reversed to a contraction with methylene blue, bovine hemoglobin, or N-monomethyl-L-arginine. Conversely, N-acetyl-L-cysteine augmented the flow-mediated relaxation. Furthermore, in the presence of N-acetyl-L-cysteine, the half-life of the endothelium-dependent relaxing factor was increased. In conclusion, the stimulus of flow induces the release by endothelial cells of a diffusible, short-lived factor with the attributes of a nitrovasodilator. The action of this endogenous vasodilator is augmented by the reduced thiol N-acetyl-L-cysteine.
Mechanical, energetic, and biochemical changes in long-term pressure overload of rabbit heart
Authors: Gibbs C. L. , Wendt I. R. , Kotsanas G. , Young I. R. , Woolley G.
Published: December 2017

The mechanical and energetic consequences of long-term pressure-overload (POL) hypertrophy have been investigated in rabbits and compared with sham-operated controls (SOC). Hypertrophy was induced by banding the pulmonary artery of young rabbits and examining the mechanical, biochemical, and energetic properties of the compensated heart 10-16 wk later. Experiments were undertaken on papillary muscles from the hypertrophic hearts. At 27 degrees C and a stimulus frequency of 1 Hz there was a modest depression of peak stress development but no significant changes in isometric rise times and one-half widths or in isotonic maximum velocity of shortening and power output. The inverse relationship between peak stress and cross-sectional area (CSA) was practically identical in the POL and SOC groups. Both polarographic and myothermic investigations were made on papillary muscles. Hypertrophy nearly halved basal metabolism, and in isometric contractions there was increased isometric economy due to a combination of a lower stress cost and a reduced activation heat. Hypertrophy did significantly depress the extent of shortening leading to a reduced work output per beat. In isotonic contractions the reduced work output was offset by a reduced energy output such that there was no significant change in suprabasal mechanical efficiency. Biochemical studies showed that the transition of myosin isoenzymes to the V3 form was essentially complete in the POL group, but that the SOC group was also predominantly V3 when the animals were killed. There was a significant 30% decline in the Ca2(+)-stimulated adenosinetriphosphatase activity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. It is concluded that in long-term compensated hypertrophy of rabbit hearts there are only a few mechanical and energetic differences between control and hypertrophic muscles. The changes that can be detected appear to predominantly reflect disturbances in cellular Ca2+ regulation.
Anoxia-reoxygenation-induced, neutrophil-mediated endothelial cell injury: role of elastase
Authors: Inauen W. , Granger D. N. , Meininger C. J. , Schelling M. E. , Granger H. J. , Kvietys P. R.
Published: December 2017

The aim of this study was to assess the role of neutrophilic elastase in anoxia-reoxygenation-induced, neutrophil-mediated injury to microvascular endothelium. Cultured bovine microvascular endothelial cells were grown to confluence and labeled with 51Cr. The endothelial cells were exposed to a 30-min period of anoxia and subsequently reoxygenated. Endothelial cell injury, quantitated as 51Cr release and cell detachment, was determined 8 h after reoxygenation. Addition of neutrophils upon reoxygenation enhanced the anoxia-reoxygenation-induced increase in 51Cr release and cell detachment. The neutrophil-mediated injury was associated with elastase release from the neutrophils. Four agents were used to inhibit neutrophilic elastase activity: Eglin C, methoxysuccunyl-Ala2-Pro-Val-CH2Cl, L658,758, and a monoclonal antibody against neutrophilic elastase. All elastase inhibitors attenuated the neutrophil-mediated endothelial cell detachment but not 51Cr release. Addition of purified human neutrophilic elastase, at a level that mimicked the release from neutrophils, increased cell detachment in endothelial cells exposed to anoxia-reoxygenation but did not affect 51Cr release. Our results indicate that elastase plays an important role in anoxia-reoxygenation-induced, neutrophil-mediated endothelial cell dysfunction.
Ca current facilitation during postrest recovery depends on Ca entry
Authors: Hryshko L. V. , Bers D. M.
Published: December 2017

Whole cell Ca current (ICa) recovery after periods of rest was examined in voltage-clamped rabbit ventricular myocytes with Na and K currents suppressed. To evaluate rest-dependent changes in ICa independent of the effects of sarcoplasmic reticular (SR) Ca release, the intracellular Ca ([Ca]i) transients were usually buffered by ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (10 mM) in the patch pipette. When voltage-clamp pulses were resumed (at 0.5 Hz) after a period of rest, several pulses were required to reattain steady-state peak ICa levels. From depolarized holding potentials between -40 and -50 mV, peak ICa of the first pulse was large and gradually decayed to steady-state levels (negative ICa staircase). This potentiation of postrest ICa was mediated by increased recovery from inactivation of Ca channels during the rest period. In contrast, with more negative holding potentials (-70 to -90 mV), the initial postrest ICa was relatively small (rest depression) and facilitation of ICa was then observed for subsequent pulses (positive ICa staircase). This ICa facilitation was mediated by a progressive decrease in the ICa inactivation rate. Depression of the initial postrest ICa required 10-15 s of rest to fully develop and became relatively constant for longer rest intervals (30-300 s). Postrest ICa depression (i.e., subsequent ICa facilitation) was abolished by replacement of extracellular Ca ([Ca]o) with either Ba or Sr. Thus ICa facilitation depends on Ca entry. Increasing [Ca]o increased postrest ICa facilitation and reducing [Ca]o had an opposite effect. When ICa was altered by changing step potential, maximal ICa facilitation occurred when ICa was maximal. Thus ICa facilitation can be graded by the amount of Ca entry. As ICa facilitation was not altered by ryanodine, this response is not likely to be due to SR Ca release. However, increasing [Ca]i buffering by using 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid in the pipette abolished the ICa staircase. Our results indicate that Ca entry can facilitate subsequent ICa, presumably through actions occurring near the sarcolemma. These local changes in [Ca]i lead to a progressive slowing in the rate of ICa inactivation.
Temporal analysis of myocardial glucose metabolism by 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose
Authors: Nguyen V. T. , Mossberg K. A. , Tewson T. J. , Wong W. H. , Rowe R. W. , Coleman G. M. , Taegtmeyer H.
Published: December 2017

To assess kinetic changes of myocardial glucose metabolism after physiological interventions, we perfused isolated working rat hearts with glucose and 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-FDG). Tissue uptake of 2-FDG and the input function were measured on-line by external detection. The fractional rate of 2-FDG phosphorylation was determined by graphical analysis of time-activity curves. The steady-state uptake of 2-FDG was linear with time, and the tracer was retained predominantly in its phosphorylated form. Tissue accumulation of 2-FDG decreased with a reduction in work load and with the addition of competing substrates. Insulin caused a significant increase in 2-FDG accumulation in hearts from fasted but not from fed animals. We conclude that in the isolated working rat heart there is rapid adjustment of exogenous substrate utilization and that most interventions known to alter glucose metabolism induce parallel changes in 2-FDG uptake. Qualitative differences in the in vitro response to insulin may be affected by the presence of either endogenous insulin or glycogen.
Role of iron on membrane phospholipid breakdown in ischemic-reperfused rat heart
Authors: Liu X. K. , Prasad M. R. , Engelman R. M. , Jones R. M. , Das D. K.
Published: December 2017

Oxygen-derived free radicals have been implicated in causing degradation of myocardial membrane phospholipids associated with ischemia and reperfusion. Since iron is known to catalyze the hydroxyl radical formation responsible for cellular injury, this study was designed to relate the role of iron with phospholipid breakdown in ischemic-reperfused heart. Isolated rat heart perfused by the Langendorff technique was subjected to 30 min of normothermic ischemia followed by 30 min of reperfusion. The experimental group received 0.6 mM deferoxamine, an iron chelator, before reperfusion of ischemic myocardium. Deacylation and reacylation of membrane phospholipids were monitored by using [14C]arachidonic acid (AA), whereas the de novo phospholipid synthesis was evaluated by using [3H]glycerol in the perfusate. In the deferoxamine group, the loss of [14C]phosphatidylcholine (PC) and the corresponding accumulation of isotopic lysophosphoglycerides as well as AA was significantly lower compared with the control. The incorporation of radioactivity for [14C]AA and [3H]glycerol into phospholipids was significantly increased in the treated group compared with the untreated group. In addition, decreased malonaldehyde formation and lactate dehydrogenase release, a higher recovery of high-energy phosphate compounds, and myocardial contractility were noticed in the deferoxamine-treated hearts. These results indicated that postischemic administration of an iron chelator such as deferoxamine can preserve membrane phospholipids and reduce myocardial dysfunction associated with reperfusion of ischemic heart.
Quantification of spatial inhomogeneity in conduction and initiation of reentrant atrial arrhythmias
Authors: Lammers W. J. , Schalij M. J. , Kirchhof C. J. , Allessie M. A.
Published: December 2017

In isolated superfused left atria of the rabbit, inhomogeneity in conduction was quantified using the activation times measured with a high-density mapping system. At each recording site, the maximal difference with neighboring activation times (i.e., phase difference) was calculated. Local phase differences were plotted in a phase map, revealing the spatial distribution of inhomogeneities in conduction, and from each map a total index of inhomogeneity was calculated. During slow pacing (2 Hz) local differences in conduction velocity, depending on the direction of propagation, were found already. Inhomogeneity in conduction increased significantly during single early premature beats (inhomogeneity index increased from 2.3 to 3.1; P less than 0.001). The application of multiple premature beats further increased inhomogeneity in conduction, whereas rapid pacing induced the highest level of inhomogeneity (inhomogeneity index 5.3; P less than 0.001). An analysis of the spatial distribution of maximal phase differences revealed that during premature beats inhomogeneities in conduction were limited to an area of 6 mm around the point of origin of the premature impulse, whereas during rapid pacing inhomogeneities in conduction were found throughout the whole preparation. Phase maps constructed during the initiation of reentrant tachyarrhythmias showed that reentry occurred at sites with the highest phase differences. Quantification of spatial inhomogeneities in conduction is a useful tool to evaluate the vulnerability of the myocardial substrate for reentrant arrhythmias.
Cardiac responses to electrical stimulation of discrete loci in canine atrial and ventricular ganglionated plexi
Authors: Butler C. K. , Smith F. M. , Cardinal R. , Murphy D. A. , Hopkins D. A. , Armour J. A.
Published: December 2017

The purpose of the present study was to examine cardiac effects induced by electrical stimulation (1-4 V, 1 ms, 200 Hz) of discrete loci within the ganglionated plexi located on canine atria and ventricles. When 20 loci in the right atrial ventral ganglionated plexi of 11 anesthetized open-chest dogs were stimulated, bradycardia and/or right and left atrial force suppression occurred when, on average, 15% of these loci were stimulated. Bradycardia and atrial force suppression were elicited when, on average, 8% of 15 loci in the left atrial ventral ganglionated plexi of eight dogs was stimulated. When these loci were restimulated after acute decentralization, cardiac responses were attenuated or occasionally eliminated. After atropine (1 mg/kg iv) administration, repeat stimulation of loci in the right but not left atrial ganglionated plexus induced tachycardia. Stimulation of loci in the right ventricular ganglionated plexus after the subsequent administration of desipramine (1 mg/kg iv) in six dogs resulted in an increase in right ventricular conus intramyocardial pressure. After hexamethonium administration (10 mg/kg iv, followed by a continuous infusion of 1 mg.kg-1.min-1), sympathetic responses were no longer elicited from one of the five dogs in which loci in the right atrial ganglionated plexi and from two of the six dogs in which loci of the right ventricular ganglionated plexus had elicited responses. We conclude that atrial and ventricular ganglionated plexi contain efferent parasympathetic, efferent sympathetic, and afferent neurons.
Endothelium-dependent L-Arg- and L-NMMA-sensitive mechanisms regulate tone of brain microvessels
Authors: Rosenblum W. I. , Nishimura H. , Nelson G. H.
Published: December 2017

Pial arterioles on the surface of the mouse brain were observed via television microscopy and measured with an image-splitting technique. The vessels were dilated by L-arginine (L-Arg) in concentrations as low as 10(-5) M and were constricted in dose-dependent manner by NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA). Both the dilation and the constriction were abolished by endothelial damage. This damage was produced over a short segment of endothelium by a well-established technique that involves exposing the endothelium to a helium-neon laser in the presence of intravascular Evans blue dye. In arterioles that were responsive to 10(-5) M L-Arg, five other L-amino acids, also at 10(-5) M, failed to have any effect. The data provide direct evidence for the endothelium-dependent nature of the responses to L-Arg and L-NMMA in vivo in a defined segment of the cerebral vasculature. L-NMMA inhibited dilation by either L-Arg or acetylcholine. The data are consistent with data from in vitro studies and from studies demonstrating that L-NMMA acutely raises blood pressure. From all these earlier studies it has been hypothesized that there is a continuously acting, endothelium-dependent, L-Arg-dependent, and L-NMMA-inhibitable mechanism tending to relax blood vessels. The mediator of this mechanism is thought to be the endothelium-dependent relaxing factor for acetylcholine. Our data suggest that this mechanism is acting in the resistance vessels of the brain in vivo.
Finite strains in anterior and posterior wall of canine left ventricle
Authors: Villarreal F. J. , Lew W. Y.
Published: December 2017

Piezoelectric crystals were implanted in the anterior and posterior midwall of the left ventricle in six anesthetized dogs to compare regional two-dimensional finite deformations. Increasing left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) from 3 to 18 mmHg caused a similar expansion in the end-diastolic configuration (similar end-diastolic principal strains), but maximal lengthening was more circumferential in the anterior wall (-18 +/- 13 degrees) and more longitudinal in the posterior wall (-54 +/- 19 degrees). End-diastolic in-plane shears were negative in both regions, consistent with a left-handed diastolic torsion. As LVEDP increased, maximal shortening strains increased similarly (similar end-systolic principal strains), but there was a preferential increase in end-systolic circumferential strain in the anterior wall and preferential increase in longitudinal strain in the posterior wall. End-systolic in-plane shears were small and positive in both regions. The circumferential strain accurately reflected maximal end-diastolic and end-systolic principal strains in the anterior wall at mid and high LVEDP but underestimated the maximal end-diastolic principal strain by 50% and the maximal end-systolic principal strain by 30% in the posterior wall at all LVEDPs. We conclude that the magnitude of end-diastolic and end-systolic strains is similar for anterior and posterior walls over a wide range of LVEDP. However, there are regional differences in the directions of maximal deformation that should be considered when evaluating regional ventricular function.
Impairment of endothelium-dependent dilatation of basilar artery during chronic hypertension
Authors: Mayhan W. G.
Published: December 2017

The goal of this study was to determine whether responses of the basilar artery are altered during chronic hypertension. We measured the diameter of the basilar artery using intravital microscopy in normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Acetylcholine (10 microM) dilated the basilar artery by 25 +/- 4% (means +/- SE) in WKY but by only 2 +/- 2% in SHR. Bradykinin (1.0 microM) dilated the basilar artery by 12 +/- 1% in WKY, but did not alter diameter in SHR (-0.1 +/- 2%). In contrast, nitroglycerin produced similar vasodilatation in WKY and SHR. Next, we examined the possibility that impaired vasodilatation in SHR may be related to the production of a cyclooxygenase constrictor substance. Indomethacin (10 mg/kg iv) did not restore vasodilatation in response to acetylcholine and bradykinin in SHR. Finally, we examined the role of nitric oxide in dilatation of the basilar artery in response to acetylcholine and bradykinin in WKY. NG-Monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA; 1.0 microM) had little effect on baseline diameter but inhibited vasodilation in response to acetylcholine and bradykinin. Vasodilatation in response to nitroglycerin was not altered by L-NMMA. These findings suggest a profound impairment of endothelium-dependent dilatation of the basilar artery during chronic hypertension. In addition, impaired vasodilatation is not related to the production of a cyclooxygenase constrictor substance. Furthermore, dilatation of the basilar artery in WKY in response to acetylcholine and bradykinin appears to be related to the production of nitric oxide or a substance capable of liberating nitric oxide.
Evidence for protein kinase C involvement in arteriolar myogenic reactivity
Authors: Hill M. A. , Falcone J. C. , Meininger G. A.
Published: December 2017

Little information exists as to the cellular events that couple the myogenic contractile response of an arteriole to an acute rise in intravascular pressure. The aim of this study was to examine whether protein kinase C (PKC), which has been implicated in the contractile response to agonists, contributes to myogenic vasoconstriction of cremaster muscle arterioles. Studies were performed on anesthetized rats, enclosed in an airtight Plexiglas box, with the cremaster exteriorized into a bath containing Kreb's solution. Pressure in the box was increased to elevate intravascular pressure by 20 mmHg. To examine PKC involvement, studies were performed in the absence or presence of inhibitors of PKC: H 7 (10(-9)-10(-5) M) or staurosporine (10(-10)-10(-7) M). Inhibitors were added to the tissue bath and produced no observable systemic effects or alterations in arteriolar diameter. Third-order arteriole (16 +/- 1 microns diam) responses to these agents and alterations in intravascular pressure were monitored by in vivo microscopy and vessel diameter was measured with a video caliper. H 7 produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of myogenic vasoconstriction, inhibiting the extent of constriction by 75% at 10(-5) M. Similarly, staurosporine caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of pressure-induced constriction. At 10(-7) M staurosporine the myogenic response was inhibited by 82%. Further support for a role for PKC in the myogenic response was provided by the observation that indolactam (10(-6) M), a stimulator of PKC activity, induced myogenic reactivity in first-order arterioles, which under basal conditions show passive distension to increased intravascular pressure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Analysis of thermopile records from contracting isolated cardiac muscle
Authors: Mast F. , Woledge R. C. , Elzinga G.
Published: December 2017

Recovery heat production after contraction in rabbit papillary muscle at 20 degrees C occurs at an exponentially declining rate. The time constant describing this decline is 25 s; it is not different when 10 twitches or when a steady-state twitch train is studied, and it is unaltered by changing stimulus frequency from 0.125 to 0.2 Hz. The same value has previously been found after single twitches. If it is assumed that phosphocreatine (PCr) resynthesis is the cause of recovery heat production and that it occurs also during contractions at a rate proportional to the amount of PCr depletion, it is possible to divide the total heat production for any period of stimulation into that caused by this recovery process (R) and that caused by initial (I) processes (presumed to be PCr splitting). The value of R/I obtained by using this method is 1.10 +/- 0.04 (means +/- SE, n = 27 muscles), close to the theoretical value of 1.13. The correspondence between the measured and the predicted ratio supports the assumptions underlying the measurement. Thus in heart muscle the heat produced during and after contraction can be explained by PCr splitting and reformation. The older Bugnard method of analysis applied to the same data gives an R/I value of 1.5; the reasons for the discrepancy are described.
Time course and mechanism of endothelial dysfunction in isolated ischemic- and hypoxic-perfused rat hearts
Authors: Tsao P. S. , Lefer A. M.
Published: December 2017

Isolated perfused rat hearts were subjected to global ischemia for 30 min followed by reperfusion for 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 min and then were tested for responsiveness to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine (ACh) and the endothelium-independent vasodilator nitroglycerin (NTG). ACh relaxation was impaired 2.5 min after reperfusion (32 +/- 3% of initial control, P less than 0.01) and remained comparably depressed at every time thereafter. No significant decrease in vasodilator response to NTG occurred at any time. Endothelial dysfunction was prevented by recombinant human superoxide dismutase (hSOD, 5 mg/heart) but not by the hydroxyl radical scavenger N-(2-mercaptopropionyl)-glycine (8 mg/heart). Comparable effects and a similar time course were observed in hypoxic hearts reoxygenated for periods up to 20 min. Chemiluminescence of perfusion effluent employed as an index of free radical production was measured at all postreperfusion times in ischemic hearts. Ischemia alone produced small increases in chemiluminescence. Reperfusion, however, produced significantly higher increases in chemiluminescence, with a large burst of activity at 0.25 min, which was blocked by hSOD. These findings suggest that endothelial dysfunction resulting in decreased release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor occurs very early after reperfusion or reoxygenation and may be due to the action of superoxide free radicals.
Influence of hemoconcentration on arteriolar oxygen transport in hamster striated muscle
Authors: Kuo L. , Pittman R. N.
Published: December 2017

We investigated the influence of isovolemic hemoconcentration on microcirculatory hemodynamics and oxygen transport in the hamster cheek pouch retractor muscle. In 17 hamsters, measurements of red blood cell velocity, hematocrit, vessel diameter, segment length (L), hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SO2), and longitudinal SO2 gradient (delta SO2/L) were made in four branching orders of arterioles before and after isovolemic exchange with packed red blood cells. Hemoconcentration increased systemic hematocrit from 50 to 65%; systemic blood gases were unchanged, but mean arterial blood pressure increased approximately 10 mmHg. Accompanying this change in systemic hematocrit the microcirculatory hematocrit increased from 40 to 50%, and red blood cell velocity and computed blood flow decreased approximately 40 and 30%, respectively. In addition, delta SO2/L was significantly increased in the four arteriolar branching orders compared with control values. We estimated that approximately 10% of the oxygen that diffused across the arteriolar network was consumed by the surrounding tissue with the remainder assumed to have diffused to venules and capillaries. After hemoconcentration, the proportion of this diffusional transfer increased by approximately 80%. Convective oxygen flow remained at its control level in the first-order arterioles and progressively decreased below control in the more distal branching orders. Our analysis of arteriolar oxygen diffusion indicated that tissue oxygenation was unchanged after hemoconcentration, a result that can be attributed to a combined effect of decreased red blood cell velocity, arteriolar vasodilation, increased precapillary oxygen loss, and a relatively modest reduction in convective oxygen flow to the capillaries.
23Na-NMR measurements of intracellular sodium in intact perfused ferret hearts during ischemia and reperfusion
Authors: Pike M. M. , Kitakaze M. , Marban E.
Published: December 2017

23Na nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was utilized to measure intracellular Na+ in perfused ferret hearts exposed to the shift reagent dysprosium triethylenetramine-hexa-acetic acid [Dy(TTHA)3-]. The intracellular Na+ signal was small under normal perfusion conditions; resolution was enhanced by using a Jump-Return NMR pulse protocol. During 20 min of total global ischemia at 30 degrees C, intracellular Na+ concentration ([Na+]i) increased steadily to a peak value fivefold greater than control. [Na+]i declined monotonically back to control levels within 9 min of reperfusion. In contrast, the mean contractile pressure only recovered to 54% of control levels. Thus major alterations in Na+ homeostasis occur during severe ischemia. [Na+] recovers rapidly during reperfusion and is therefore dissociated from the lingering postischemic depression of contractile function known as "stunning."
Inhibition of lipoxygenase pathway reduces blood pressure in renovascular hypertensive rats
Authors: Nozawa K. , Tuck M. L. , Golub M. , Eggena P. , Nadler J. L. , Stern N.
Published: December 2017

To assess the potential role of the lipoxygenase (LO) pathway in the vasculature in an angiotensin II (ANG II)-dependent model of hypertension, we investigated the effect of LO pathway inhibition on blood pressure in the two-kidney, one-clip (2K,1C) Goldblatt hypertensive rat. The development of renovascular hypertension in 2K,1C rats was attenuated by oral administration of phenidone (Phe, 60 mg.kg-1.day-1), a nonselective LO inhibitor, throughout the 3 wk of observation after renal artery constriction. In contrast, the same treatment protocol had no effect on the evolution of hypertension in the deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt rat, which is considered to be an ANG II-independent form of hypertension. The hypotensive effect of Phe was not associated with changes in plasma renin or aldosterone concentration (PRC and PAC, respectively). In vitro synthesis of 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) by aortic segments was increased in 2K,1C hypertensive rats compared with sham-operated rats. In addition, the synthesis of 12-HETE was suppressed by the in vitro addition of Phe (10(-4) M) to aortic-segment incubates obtained from 2K,1C rats and sham-operated rats. Acute administration of Phe (30 or 60 mg/kg) in 2K,1C hypertensive rats produced a rapid and sustained decrease in mean blood pressure (MBP). This decrease in MBP was accompanied by a brisk rise in PRC and PAC. In contrast, bolus administration of indomethacin, a selective cyclooxygenase inhibitor, did not affect MBP, PRC, or PAC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Vasodilation induced by endothelin: role of EDRF and prostanoids in rat hindquarters
Authors: Ohlstein E. H. , Vickery L. , Sauermelch C. , Willette R. N.
Published: December 2017

Hemodynamic responses to endothelin (ET-1) were studied in hindquarters of anesthetized rats and also in isolated buffer-perfused hindquarters of pithed rats. ET-1 (10-100 pmol ia) produced brief dose-related increases in hindquarter blood flow. Acetylcholine (ACh. 0.3-1 micrograms ia) produced similar vasodilator responses. Hemodynamic responses elicited by either ET-1 or ACh were not significantly altered by pretreatment with indomethacin. ET-1 produced dose-dependent increases in skeletal muscle microvascular perfusion, whereas ET-1 had no effect on cutaneous microvascular perfusion, suggesting that vasodilation in the skeletal muscle of the hindlimb contributes to the increase in hindquarter blood flow induced by ET-1. Hemodynamic effects of ET-1 and ACh were studied in the isolated in situ buffer-perfused hindquarters of pithed rats. ET-1 (0.01-300 pmol ia) produced only dose-dependent increases in hindquarter perfusion pressure under basal conditions or when the vascular preparation was precontracted with methoxamine. ET-1 induced vasorelaxation was not observed. ACh (3 microgram ia) produced a 64% reduction in hindquarter perfusion pressure; indicative of endothelium-dependent relaxation. ET-3 (0.1-300 pmol) produced only dose-dependent increases in hindquarter perfusion pressure. When hemodynamic effects of ET-1 were studied under conditions of constant pressure, results were similar to those obtained under constant flow. This study demonstrates that in the rat hindquarters endothelium-derived relaxing factors and prostanoids do not appear to be mediators of endothelin-induced vasodilation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Intracellular calcium and high-energy phosphates in isolated cardiac myocytes
Authors: Doeller J. E. , Wittenberg B. A.
Published: December 2017

The relationship between intracellular calcium (Cai) and high-energy phosphates was studied in adult cardiac myocytes. Cai and high-energy phosphates were measured in the same population of cells. Cai, reported by the fluorescence of fura-2, was maintained at normal levels in the presence of increased transsarcolemmal calcium gradients, up to 5 mM extracellular calcium concentration. Cai was experimentally elevated by increasing calcium influx from the extracellular medium and/or by diminishing calcium efflux by Na-Ca exchange. Under these conditions, cells contracted and relengthened repetitively. The regulation of high-energy phosphates was challenged by increasing ATP utilization and by inhibiting ATP synthesis. Cai regulation was not affected by inhibition of glycolysis or NADH oxidation, so long as ATP concentration remained unchanged. High-energy phosphates were not depleted in beating cells with intact NADH oxidation, but inhibition of NADH oxidation caused a significant drop in phosphocreatine, demonstrating the increased rate of ATP consumption during beating. In beating cells, as in the working heart, ATP supply is increased to meet ATP demand, and steady-state ATP and phosphocreatine concentrations remain unchanged.
Endothelin release is inhibited by coculture of endothelial cells with cells of vascular media
Authors: Stewart D. J. , Langleben D. , Cernacek P. , Cianflone K.
Published: December 2017

Endothelin is a potent vasoconstrictor peptide and a smooth muscle mitogen produced in large amounts by endothelial cells in culture. To determine whether other cellular elements of the vessel wall modify the release or clearance of endothelin, we studied the effect of coculture of endothelial cells with vascular smooth muscle cells or fibroblasts on endothelin release. Endothelial cells were grown to confluence on microcarrier beads and transferred to dishes containing confluent cultures of smooth muscle cells or fibroblasts or control media only. In parallel experiments, endothelial cells on microcarrier beads were incubated in media conditioned by 48-h exposure to smooth muscle cells or fibroblasts. Endothelin concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay (rabbit anti-endothelin-1 serum). Endothelial cells alone released large amounts of endothelin: 169 +/- 60 and 982 +/- 237 pg/10(6) endothelial cells at 4 and 24 h, respectively. Endothelin accumulation was markedly reduced in coculture with smooth muscle cells or fibroblasts by 81 +/- 10 and 49 +/- 5% (P less than 0.05), respectively, at 24 h. This difference could not be explained by smooth muscle cell binding or degradation of endothelin. Furthermore, smooth muscle cell- or fibroblast-conditioned media significantly reduced endothelin release, and twofold concentration of smooth muscle cell-conditioned media fully reproduced the inhibition of endothelin release found in coculture, confirming the presence of a transferable inhibitor. Therefore, we propose that endothelin secretion from endothelial cells may be regulated by an inhibitory factor produced by the vascular media. This mechanism might limit the production of endothelin in intact vessels and thereby protect against excessive vasoconstriction or proliferation of vascular target cells.
Endothelial independence of myogenic response in isolated skeletal muscle arterioles
Authors: Falcone J. C. , Davis M. J. , Meininger G. A.
Published: December 2017

The goal of this study was to determine whether the endothelium played a role in the myogenic response of skeletal muscle arterioles. First-order arterioles (n = 15) were isolated from the rat cremaster muscle and cannulated for in vitro study. The development of spontaneous tone reduced the diameter of the isolated arterioles from 166.7 +/- 7.6 microns to 89.2 +/- 7.2 microns. The arterioles were exposed to step changes in intraluminal pressure over a range of 10–170 cmH2O and had no flow through their lumen. The vessels exhibited active constriction to step increases or active dilation to step decreases in pressure (50–150 cmH2O). At 90 cmH2O, arterioles dilated by 89.2 +/- 6.0% in response to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine (10(-6) M; ACh) and 89.6 +/- 10.9% in response to endothelium-independent dilator adenosine (10(-4) M; Ado). The endothelium was physically denuded by rubbing the vessel lumen. After denudation, the arteriolar dilation to ACh was abolished, whereas the dilation to Ado was unaltered. The absence of endothelium was verified by electron microscopy. Basal tone and the response to changes in pressure were not significantly different from endothelium-intact vessels. These studies indicate that the endothelium is not responsible for myogenic activity or development of spontaneous tone in skeletal muscle arterioles.
Reduced exercise capacity in senescent beagles: an evaluation of the periphery
Authors: Haidet G. C. , Parsons D.
Published: December 2017

This study investigated the effect of age on peripheral factors involved in the systemic response to maximal exercise. Skeletal muscle was analyzed and regional blood flow distribution was determined at rest and during maximal exercise in senescent (old) and in younger mature (young) beagles. Maximal exercise capacity was significantly reduced (P less than 0.05) in old and was associated with a reduction in cardiac output (CO), as well as a tendency for arteriovenous O2 difference to be reduced, with a concomitant reduction in maximal O2 consumption. In each regional circulation evaluated, resting blood flow was similar in young and old. During exercise, blood flow was similar in young and old to the diaphragm, heart, tongue, and six of seven locomotory muscles. Concomitant blood flow reductions in splanchnic regions tended to be more pronounced in old than in young. Skeletal muscle analyses of triceps, semitendinosus, and gastrocnemius muscles disclosed similar percent fiber type distribution in young and old but a reduction in type II fiber area in old. In addition, both muscle capillary density and capillary-to-fiber ratio were reduced in old. These results demonstrate that age-related changes in blood flow distribution during maximal exercise enable skeletal muscle blood flow to be maintained in old, despite reductions in maximal CO and in muscle capillary density. However, this pattern of blood flow distribution only partially compensates for the combined effects of age-related changes in metabolic potential of the periphery, O2 content of arterial blood, and cardiac function during maximal exercise in old.
DNA synthesis in isolated arteries. Kinetics and structural consequences
Authors: Boonen H. C. , Schiffers P. M. , Fazzi G. E. , Janssen G. M. , Daemen M. J. , De Mey J. G.
Published: December 2017

We evaluated changes in DNA synthesis, structure, and mechanical activity in isolated arteries during exposure to growth factors. Renal arteries were isolated from rats, sympathectomized, denuded of endothelium, and maintained in tissue culture. Up to 4 days of culture did not affect maximal contractile responses to depolarization. From the results of nuclear incorporation of the thymidine analogue 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdUrd), culture stimulated DNA synthesis. In the media, incorporation of BrdUrd was maximal after 3 days but fell precipitously thereafter. Culture of arterial segments did not, however, increase the cross-sectional area of the media, the ploidy of the arterial nuclei, or the number of medial cells. In contrast, new layers of cells, part of which displayed smooth musclelike properties, developed at the border of the segments. The outermost edge of this newly formed layer continued to incorporate BrdUrd for at least 2 wk. These data demonstrate that stimulation of DNA synthesis by continuous exposure of the arterial wall to exogenous growth factors is 1) transient in the media; 2) does not, at least initially, compromise contractile reactivity; 3) does not alter gross medial structure; but 4) leads to proliferation of smooth musclelike cells outside the media. These findings suggest that the number of smooth muscle cells in the arterial media is maintained constant in the presence of even strong mitogenic stimuli.
Sympathetic-parasympathetic interaction and accentuated antagonism in conscious dogs
Authors: Stramba-Badiale M. , Vanoli E. , De Ferrari G. M. , Cerati D. , Foreman R. D. , Schwartz P. J.
Published: December 2017

The heart rate response to vagal stimulation and the interaction with sympathetic activity was evaluated in conscious dogs at rest and during exercise; the latter was used as a tool to physiologically elevate sympathetic activity. In 20 dogs with a healed myocardial infarction and in 7 healthy dogs a bipolar electrode was chronically implanted around the right cervical vagus. Vagal stimulation (3 ms; 2.1 +/- 0.7 mA; 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 Hz) was performed while dogs stood on the treadmill (heart rate 120 +/- 25 beats/min) and while they exercised (201 +/- 17 beats/min). Gradual increases of the frequency of vagal stimulation gradually enhanced the inhibitory effect on heart rate both before and during exercise. During exercise, heart rate reduction was significantly greater than that produced at rest at any frequency of stimulation (P less than 0.001). This difference widened as the frequency of stimulation increased and the interaction with or without the presence of exercise was significant (P less than 0.02). Vagal stimulation produced similar effects in the seven dogs without myocardial infarction. These data demonstrate that the vagal-sympathetic "accentuated antagonism" described in anesthetized animals is also present in conscious dogs.
Influence of experimental diabetes on sarcoplasmic reticulum function in rat ventricular muscle
Authors: Bouchard R. A. , Bose D.
Published: December 2017

We examined whether the decrease in cardiac contractility in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in the rat is accompanied by reduced or excessive loading of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) with Ca2+. Pooled SR Ca2+ content and fractional release on stimulation were estimated with rapid cooling contracture (RCC) and twitch height measurements, respectively. Interval-force relation was studied to assess the ability of diabetic tissue to alter the relative contribution of SR Ca2+ for contraction. Two months after injection with streptozotocin, peak isometric contraction and steady-state RCC decreased in parallel to approximately 50% of control values. The time to peak force development and complete relaxation was prolonged to 156 and 161% in diabetes in the presence of 1.25 and 2.5 mM extracellular Ca2+ concentration [Ca2+]o, respectively. A stepwise increase in the rate of stimulation from 0.2 to 0.5 and 1.0 Hz resulted in a negative force staircase, the slope of which was identical in control and diabetic animals in each [Ca2+]o tested. Postrest contractions and RCC, after variable test intervals, were significantly depressed after 0.2 and 0.5 Hz stimulation in diabetic muscles at 1.25 mM [Ca2+]o. This defect of SR Ca2+ availability was reversed by increasing the stimulation frequency to 1.0 Hz or by elevating [Ca2+]o to 2.5 mM. The results suggest that the marked reduction of developed tension in diabetic tissues was a consequence of depleted SR Ca2+ stores, rather than a result of chronic SR Ca2+ overloading. The maintained integrity of the interval-force relation in the presence of diabetes implies that the cellular mechanisms responsible for frequency- and time-dependent alterations in SR Ca2+ availability are not disturbed at this stage of disease.
Reflex versus autoregulatory control of hindlimb blood flow during treadmill exercise in dogs
Authors: Koch L. G. , Strick D. M. , Britton S. L. , Metting P. J.
Published: December 2017

To evaluate the competition between local autoregulation and reflex neurohumoral control of hindlimb blood flow (HLBF), the hindlimb vascular pressure-flow relationship was determined in nine dogs in response to a 10% decrease in mean arterial pressure (AP) imposed during both low (3.0 km/h, 0% grade) and high (5.5 km/h, 14% grade) intensities of treadmill exercise. HLBF was measured with a Doppler flow probe on the left external iliac artery, and AP was controlled with a gravity reservoir connected to the left carotid artery. A 10 +/- 2% reduction in AP for 25 min caused HLBF to decrease 25 +/- 2% during low-exercise intensity but only 10 +/- 2% during high-exercise intensity. The corresponding closed-loop gains (Gc) of HLBF regulation [Gc = 1 - (% delta hindlimb blood flow/% delta hindlimb perfusion pressure) were -1.6 +/- 0.4 and -0.06 +/- 0.2 during low- and high-exercise intensity, respectively. Autonomic ganglionic blockade (hexamethonium) increased the Gc during low-intensity exercise to 0.07 +/- 0.2. Antagonism of adenosine receptors (aminophylline) decreased the Gc of HLBF regulation during high-intensity exercise to -0.57 +/- 0.3. These data demonstrate that in response to an imposed decrease in AP, autonomic vasoconstriction overrides autoregulatory vasodilatory mechanisms during low-intensity exercise. HLBF regulation increases at a higher exercise intensity, in part due to adenosine, but autoregulation does not predominate over arterial pressure regulating mechanisms.