0000000000088094
AUTHOR
M. Pilar D'ocon
Evidence that depletion of internal calcium stores sensitive to noradrenaline elicits a contractile response dependent on extracellular calcium in rat aorta.
1. Noradrenaline 1 microM induced a contractile response in rat isolated aorta in the presence or in the absence of extracellular Ca2+ with depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores. Thereafter, during incubation in the presence of Ca2+, an increase in the resting tone was observed. Such a contractile response did not occur after exposure to caffeine or 5-hydroxytryptamine. 2. This increase in tension was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner by alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists (prazosin, phentolamine and yohimbine), the non-specific relaxing compound, papaverine and by the Ca(2+)-entry blocker, nifedipine. Therefore, this contractile process is related to depletion of Ca2+ stores sensit…
Modulatory role of magnesium on the contractile response of rat aorta to several agonists in normal and calcium-free medium.
Abstract Acute withdrawal of external Mg2+ increased basal tone of rat isolated aorta incubated in the presence of Ca2+. Above normal levels of Mg2+ (1–4 Mm) inhibited basal tone while much higher levels of the divalent cation (64–256 Mm) evoked contractile responses regardless of the presence of Ca2+. Contractile responses to noradrenaline (1μm) and KCl (80 Mm) were inhibited by addition of cumulative concentrations of Mg2+. Acetylcholine-induced contractions in the presence of physiological concentrations of Mg2+ (1 Mm) decreased gradually to the basal tone, but a sustained contraction was observed in the absence of this ion. In Ca2+-free medium, acetylcholine-induced phasic responses ind…
Changes in Adrenoceptors and G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2 in <smlcap>L</smlcap>-NAME-Induced Hypertension Compared to Spontaneous Hypertension in Rats
This work compares the expression of adrenoceptors (ARs) and G-protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK) 2 (RT-PCR and immunoblotting) and functional responses in conductance (aorta) and resistance vessels (mesenteric resistance arteries; MRA) in two different models of rat hypertension: hypertension induced by chronic treatment with <smlcap>L</smlcap>-NAME (N<sup>G</sup>-nitro-<smlcap>L</smlcap>-arginine methyl-ester) (<smlcap>L</smlcap>-NAME-treated rats; LNHR), and genetically induced hypertension (spontaneously hypertensive rats; SHR). Changes found in the aorta, but not in the MRA, were: (1) a loss of contractile capacity, more evidently in α…
N-SUBSTITUTION AND á1-ADRENERGIC RECEPTOR AFFINITY OF LAUDANOSINE ANALOGUES
Benzyltetrahydroisoquinoline (BTHIQ) molecules are able to adopt widely differing conformations that depend on the presence or absence of N-substituents. To assess the possible role of BTHIQ conformation on the affinity of these compounds for α 1 -adrenergic receptors, of interest for the management of hypertension, the racemic N-unsubstituted BTHIQ norlaudanosine and a series of N-alkylated derivatives were assessed for binding to rat brain cortical sites labelled with the radioligand [3H]prazosin. The α 1 -adrenergic affinity in this series increased with the bulk of the substituent on the nitrogen atom, from the N-ethyl to the N-propyl analogue. Comparison of these results with published…
Selective action of two aporphines at alpha 1-adrenoceptors and potential-operated Ca2+ channels.
Abstract Contractions evoked by noradrenaline (1 μM) or a depolarizing solution of 60 mM KCI were concentration dependently depressed by the aporphine alkaloids (S)-boldine and (R)-apomorphine in rataorta. Both drugs had a greater inhibitory potency on the contraction elicited by noradrenaline. Dose-response curves for noradrenaline were shifted to the right in presence of (S)-boldine. (R)-Apomorphine acted by a complex mechanism at α 1 -adrenoceptors and its inhibitory effects was irreversible. The conformational features of these alkaloids may explain their different behaviour at α 1 -adrenoceptors. In Ca 2+ -free solution, the alkaloids inhibited the contraction evoked by noradrenaline b…
The effect of S-(+)-boldine on the α1-adrenoceptor of the guinea-pig aorta
1. The cardiovascular activity of S-(+)-boldine, an aporphine alkaloid structurally related to papaverine, was determined. The work includes functional studies on guinea-pig isolated aorta contracted with noradrenaline, caffeine, KCl or Ca2+, and on guinea-pig trachea contracted with acetylcholine or histamine. 2. S-(+)-boldine inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner the contractile response evoked by noradrenaline (10 microM) in guinea-pig aorta (IC50 = 1.4 +/- 0.2 microM) while the KCl depolarizing solution (60 mM)- or the Ca2+ (1 mM)-induced contractions were only partially affected by boldine up to 300 microM. In contrast, papaverine relaxed noradrenaline (NA), KCl or Ca2+ induced…