• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.119-124
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• 1997

Chronic hypertension is associated with impaired endothelial function such as reduced synthesis/release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor(EDRF, nitric oxide) and increased synthesis/release of endothelium-derived contracting factor(EDCF) including prostaglandin endoperoxide($PGH_2$) , superoxide anion both in animals and in humans. We have previously shown that ginsenosides lower the blood pressure and enhance the release of nitric oxide(NO) from endothelial cells in the rat aorta of the normotensive rats. The aim of the present study is to examine whether in vivo treatment of spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHRs) with protopanaxatriol ginsenosides(PPT) reduces the blood pressure and improves endothelial function in the isolated thoracic aorta of SHR. In addition, the contractile response to $PGH_2$ and superoxide anion in the aorta treated with PPT was assessed. SHRs at the age of 16 weeks were savaged with PPT(30 mg/kg/ day) for 2 weeks and systolic blood pressure was measured by the tail-cuff method. Whereas blood pressure was significantly increased in SHRs by 5.4 mmHg during this period of treatment, treatment of SHRs with PPT blocked the elevation of blood pressure. Endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine was significantly increased in the PPT-treated animals. $PGH_2$- and oxygen-derived free radical-induced contractions were significantly suppressed in aortic rings without endothelium from PPT-treated SHR. These findings indicate that PPT reduces the blood pressure of SHR, which may be associated with either increase of NO release or by antagonizing superoxide anion and PGH2 in the aortic smooth muscle.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.101-108
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• 2016

This study is conducted to investigate vasorelaxant effect of Corni Fructus(CF) on rabbit carotid artery. To determine vasorelaxant effect of CF on rabbit carotid artery, arterial sections with intact or removed endothelium were used in this organ bath study. After being contracted by phenylephrine(PE), arterial sections were treated with CF extract in a dose-dependent manner. To identity its mechanism, the contracted arterial sections by PE were pretreated with indomethacin(IM), tetraethylammonium chloride(TEA), Nω-nitro-L-arginine(L-NNA) or methylene blue(MB) and 1.0 ㎎/㎖ CF extract. We also studied to confirm the effect on influx of extracellular calcium chloride(Ca²⁺) of the CF extract in rabbit carotid artery. To measure the cytotoxicity of the CF extract, cell viability of human umbilical vein endothelial cell(HUVEC) was measured by MTT assay. Generation of nitric oxide(NO) was also measured by Griess reagent. The arterial sections with intact endothelium were relaxed significantly by CF extract, but this effect was inhibited in the arterial sections with damaged endothelium. The vasorelaxant effect was inhibited significantly when arterial sections were pretreated with IM, TEA, L-NNA, MB. In Ca²⁺-free krebs solution, increasing of arterial contraction by Ca²⁺ was also inhibited by CF significantly. The treatment of CF extract increased NO concentration in HUVEC. This study suggested that the vasorelaxant effect of CF extract would be related with endothelium derived relaxing factor(EDRF) such as NO, prostacyclin(PGI₂), endothelium derived hyperpolarization factor(EDHF).

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 1993

Effects of the endothelium on the contractile responses to norepinephrine (NE) were investigated in isolated helical strips of the proximal and distal coronaries artery of pigs. The helical strips were immersed in Tris-buffered Tyrode's solution equilibrated with 100% $O_2$ at $35^{\circ}C$ and its isometric tension was measured. NE relaxed the strips precontracted with acetylcholine from both the proximal and distal coronary artery. NE-induced relaxation, which might be induced mainly by $\beta$-adrenoceptor function was dominant in the distal coronary arteries. NE-induced relaxation was converted to a contraction after $\beta$-adrenoceptor blockade with propranolol $(3{\times}10^{-6}M)$. ${\alpha}$-adrenoceptor-mediated contraction by NE was greater in the proximal coronary artery than the distal coronary artery. Quantitatively, ${\alpha}_1$-adrenoceptor mediated contraction by NE was greater than ${\alpha}_2$-adrenoceptor mediated contraction by NE in both arteries. NE-induced relaxation was decreased by rubbing of endothelium in both arteries. ${\alpha}_1-and\;{\alpha}_2$-adrenoceptor mediated contraction by NE were potentiated by rubbing of endothelium in both arteries. Pretreatment with methylene blue, an inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase, increased ${\alpha}_1-\;and\;{\alpha}_2$-adrenoceptor mediated contraction by NE in both arteries with endothelium. From the above results, we suggest that the effect of activation of $\alpha$-adrenoceptors by NE may be modulated by endothelium in the proximal and distal coronary arteries of pigs. This effect may be mediated via endothelium derived relaxing factor.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.357-366
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• 2004

We studied the effect of propofol (PPF) on the endothelium-dependent vascular responses in isolated rat thoracic aorta. In aortic rings with endothelium, PPF inhibited the phenylephrine (PE)-induced contraction in a concentration-dependent manner. In PE-precontracted preparations, PPF attenuated the endothelium-dependent relaxation by acetylcholine but not by A23187. And PPF did not attenuate the endothelium-independent relaxation by sodium nitroprusside (SNP). The relaxation induced by acetylcholine in PE-precontracted aortic rings was significantly augmented by zaprinast, a cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase inhibitor, and this augmentation was inhibited by PPF. Although SNP-induced relaxation was significantly augmented by zaprinast, this augmentation was not inhibited by PPF. In preparations preconstricted with PE, the PPF-induced relaxation was inhibited by atropine. In addition, PPF attenuated the vasorelaxation by phosphodiesterase inhibitors (IBMX, Ro20-1724 or zaprinast except milrinone). In vivo, the infusion of acetylcholine and SNP showed decreased arterial blood pressure in rats. The pre-injection of PPF inhibited the acetylcholine-induced blood pressure lowering, but not the SNP-induced blood pressure lowering. These results suggest that PPF can attenuate in part the acetylcholine-induced vasorelaxation and blood pressure lowering through the inhibition of the acetylcholine receptor-mediated endothelium-derived relaxing factor by acting on endothelium. It is considered that the inhibitory effect of PPF on the vasorelaxation is due to the decreased level of cGMP which can be attributed to the inhibition of the muscarinic receptor and/or receptor-G-protein interaction.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.588-596
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• 2009

Background: To clarify the effect of hypoxia on vascular contractility, we tried to show whether hypoxia induced the release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) and the nature of the underlying mechanism for this release. Material and Method: Isometric contractions were observed in rabbit aorta, and the released EDRF from the rabbit aorta was bioassayed by using rabbit denuded carotid artery. The intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) in the cultured rabbit aortic endothelial cells was recorded by a microfluorimeter with using Fura-2/AM. Hypoxia was evoked to the blood vessels or endothelial cells by eliminating the $O_2$ in the aerating gases in the external solution. Chemical hypoxia was evoked by applying deoxyglucose or $CN^-$. Result: Hypoxia relaxed the precontracted rabbit thoracic aorta that had its endothelium, and the magnitude of the relaxation was gradually increased by repetitive bouts of hypoxia. In contrast, hypoxia-induced relaxation was not evoked in the aorta that was denuded of endothelium. In a bioassay experiment, hypoxia released endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) and the release was inhibited by L-NAME or the $K^+$ channel blocker tetraethylammonium (TEA). In the cultured endothelial cells, hypoxia augmented the ATP-induced increase of the intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) and this increase was inhibited by TEA. Furthermore, chemical hypoxia also increased the $Ca^{2+}$ influx. Conclusion: From these results, it can be concluded that hypoxia might induce the release of NO from rabbit aortic endothelial cells by increasing $[[Ca^{2+}]_i$.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.462-468
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• 1996

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of age on angiotensin II (AII) response and antagonistic activity of losartan using aortic rings and liver homogenates from rats ranging in age from 0.7 to 20 months. Whether the endothelium was present or not, the maximum contractile response to AII decreased with age. Removal of the endothelium enhanced AII-induced maximum contraction and these endothelial effects seemed to be due to endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) in all ages. Equilibrium binding studies demonstrated an age-related decrease in maximum binding $(B_{max})$ with little change in binding affinity $(K_d)$. In rat aorta, the extent of losartan-induced parallel shifts $(K_B)$ in AII concentration-response curves was not significantly different between ages. In addition, $IC_{50}$ value of losartan in competition binding was not changed with age in rat liver homogenates. These results suggest that the potency of losartan is not altered with age in rat aorta and liver, although AII-induced contractile response and the maximum AII binding decreased significantly with age.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.98-103
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• 1997

On the precontracted rabbit cavernosal muscle strips with phenylephrine ($5\ast10^{-6}$M), Increasing concentrations of acetylcholine (10-7, 10-6, 10-5, 10-4M) showed relaxation effect dose-dependently in control group ($10^{-7}$M : 15.32%, $10^{-6}$M : 35.44%, 10-5M : 59.45%, 10-4M : 76.54%). After 3 months administering Korean red ginseng, the relaxation action of acetylcholine was significantly increased ($10^{-7}$M : 34.18%, $10^{-6}$M : 56.35%, $10^{-5}$M : 75.33%, $10^{-4}$M : 89.86%). Relaxation effect of Korean red ginseng was significantly increased after 3 months administering Korean red ginseng. Intracavernous pressure response to electrostimulation wan 107.52 cm$H_2O$ in control group and significantly increased to 138.34 cm $H_2O$ after 3 month administering Korean red ginseng. With these results, we can confirm that long-term administration of Korean red ginseng enhances the erectly capacity and that its action is mediated by endothelium derived relaxing factor and peripheral neurophysiologic enhancement.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.169-175
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• 1996

The reactivity of the sulfhydryl (thiol) group of homocysteine has been associated with an Increased risk of atherosclerosis, thrombosis and stroke. Thiols also react with nitric oxide (NO, an endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) ), forming S-nitrosothiols that have been reported to have potent vasodilatory and antiplatelet effects and been expected to decrease adverse vascular effects of homocysteine. The present study was aimed to Investigate whether the S-nitrosation of homocysteine modulates the neurotoxic effects of homocysteine. An 18 hour-exposure of cultured rat cortical neurons to homocysteine ( >1 mM) resulted in a significant neuronal cell death. At comparable concentrations ( <10 mM), however, S-nitrosohomocysteine did not induce neuronal cell death. Furthermore, S-nitrosohomocysteirle partially blocked NMDA-mediated neurotoxicity. S-nitrosohomocysteine also decreased NMDA-mediated increases in intracellular calcium concentration. The present data indicate that in brain nitric oxide produced from neuronal and nonneuronal cells can modulate the potential, adverse properties of homocysteine.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 1993

Ultraviolet light radiation (UVR) did not affect resting tension of isolated thoracic aortae of rats. In aortic rings contracted with phenylephrine, however, UVR produced contractile and relaxant responses in preparations with and without endothelium, respectively. The contractile response was dependent upon the duration $(10{\sim}320\;sec)$ of irradiation, while the relaxation was not. UVR-induced contractions in endothelium-intact rings were significantly potentiated by increasing the concentrations of phenylephrine from $10^{-7}M$ to $10^{-5}M$, and also by addition of $10^{-6}M$ acetylcholine, $10^{-7}M$ isoproterenol and $3.5{\times}10^{-8}M$ nitroglycerine. However, addition of $10^{-6}M$ phentolamine, or $10^{-7}M$ to $10^{-6}M$ LY83583 inhibited the contraction or reversed the contraction to a relaxation. In endothelium-removed preparations the UVR-induced relaxation was attenuated by increasing concentractions of phenylephrine, and by addition of isoproterenol, nitroglycerin, phentolamine or LY83583. These results suggest that UVR produces contractile and relaxant responses in rat thoracic aortae with and without endothelium, respectively, and that the contractile effect results from the inhibition of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) release by UVR the inhibition of and/or is in part re-lated to some endothelium-derived contractile factors (EDCFs).

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.181-190
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• 1994

Endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) activates guanylate cyclase which mediates the formation of cGMP from GTP in vascular smooth muscle. It is well known that endothelium-dependent relaxation is impaired in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). However, it is still unknown whether the impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation in SHR results from the reduced release of EDRF or from the decrease of vascular response to EDRF. We investigated the effects of cGMP on the contractility and Ca movement in the aorta of SHR and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). The amplitude of the endothelium-dependent relaxation to actylcholine (ACh) was significantly less in SHR than in WKY. L-arginine $(10^{-3}M)$ did not increase endothelium-dependent relaxation in both strains. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), an activator of guanylate cyclase, relaxed the 40 mM $K^+-induced$ contraction in a dose-dependent manner $(10^{-10}{\sim}10^{-6}\;M)$ in the endothelium-rubbed aortic strips of both strains. However, there was no significant difference in these relaxations between WKY and SHR. 8-bromo-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (8-Br-cGMP), a cell membrane-permeable derivative of cGMP relaxed the 40 mM $K^+-induced$ contraction in a dose-dependent manner $(10^{-6}{\sim}10^{-4}\;M)$ in the endothelium-rubbed aortic strips of both strains. Also norepinephrine $(10^{-6}\;M)-induced$ contractions in normal and Ca-free Tyrode's solution were suppressed by the pretreatment with 8-Br-cGMP $(10^{-4}\;M)$ in either strain. However, the amplitudes of suppression induced by 8-Br-cGMP were greater in SHR than that in WKY. Basal $^{45}Ca$ uptake and 40mM $K^+-stimulated\;^{45}Ca$ uptake were not suppressed by pretreatment with 8-Br-cGMP $(10^{-4}\;M)$ in single aortic smooth muscle cells of both SHR and WKY. From the above results, it is suggested that cGMP decreases Ca sensitivity in vascular smooth muscle cells and that the impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation in the aortic strips of SHR is not the result of a reduced vascular response to EDRF.