• The Korean Journal of Physiology
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.45-54
• /
• 1983

Contractile responses of myocardium and vascular smooth muscle to angiotensin II were studied in isolated rabbit papillary muscles and aortic helical strips, with respect to the sensitivity and the mechanism of action. All experiments were performed in $HCO-_3\;-buffered Tyrode solution which was aerated with $3%\;CO_2-97%\;O_2$ and kept pH 7.35 at $35^{\circ}C$. Action potentials were measured by conventional microelectrode technique in the papillary muscles. Helical strips of vascular smooth muscle were prepared from the descending thoracic aorta of the rabbit. Angiotensin II elicited a positive inotropic effect in doses from $10^{-8}$ to $10^{-6}\;M$, and this effect was dose-dependent and characterized by a symmetrical increase of maximum dP/dt during contraction and relaxation phase. Slow responses (or slow action potentials) were induced by A. II $(10^{-6}\;M)$ in the papillary muscle hypopolarized by 27 mM $K^+$. These A. II-induced slow action potentials were eliminated by verapamil (2 mg/l), but not affected by propranolol $(10^{-5}\;M)$. In aortic helical strips, contractile force was increased dose-dependently in the range of $10^{-10}{\sim}10^{-7}\;M$ A. II. $ED_{50}$ in aorta was $3{\times}10^{-9}\;M$ A. II, whereas that in paillary muscle was $2.5{\times}10^{-7}\;M$ A. II. A. II contracted vascular smooth muscle in depolarizing concentration of $K^+$ (100 mM $K^+$), and also produced a sustained contraction even in the presence of verapamil and regitine. The results of this experiment suggest that the primarily important physiological role of A. II is the action on the blood vessel, and the positive inotropic effect of A. II in papillary muscle results from the increase of slow inward $Ca^{++}$ current, and that A. II-induced contraction of aorta is independent of transmembrane potential and associated with promoting bet transmembrane $Ca^{++}\;-influx$ and the mobilization of cellular $Ca^{++}$.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.15 no.6
• /
• pp.339-344
• /
• 2011

Ulmus davidiana var. japonica Rehder (Urticales: Ulmaceae) (UD) is a tree widespread in northeast Asia. It is traditionally used for anticancer and anti-inflammatory therapy. The present study investigated the effect of an ethanol extract of UD on vascular tension and its underlying mechanism in rats. The dried root bark of UD was ground and extracted with 80% ethanol. The prepared UD extract was used in further analysis. The effect of UD on the cell viability, vasoreactivity and hemodynamics were investigated using propidium iodide staining in cultured cells, isometric tension recording and blood pressure analysis, respectively. Low dose of UD ($10{\sim}100{\mu}g/ml)$ did not affect endothelial cell viability, but high dose of UD reduced cell viability. UD induced vasorelaxation in the range of $0.1{\sim}10{\mu}g/ml$ with an $ED_{50}$ value of $2{\mu}g/ml$. UD-induced vasorelaxation was completely abolished by removal of the endothelium or by pre-treatment with L-NAME, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase. UD inhibited calcium influx induced by phenylephrine and high $K^+$ and also completely abolished the effect of L-NAME. Intravenous injection of UD extracts (10~100 mg/kg) decreased arterial and ventricular pressure in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, UD extracts reduced the ventricular contractility (+dP/dt) in anesthetized rats. However, UD-induced hypotensive actions were minimized in L-NAME-treated rats. Taken together, out results showed that UD induced vasorelaxation and has antihypertensive properties, which may be due the activation of nitric oxide synthase in endothelium.