Search results for "CONTRACTION"
showing 10 items of 1092 documents
Effects of hormone replacement therapy and high-impact physical exercise on skeletal muscle in post-menopausal women: a randomized placebo-controlled…
2001
An age-related decline in muscle performance is a known risk factor for falling, fracture and disability. In women, a clear deterioration is observed from early menopause. The effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in preserving muscle performance is, however, unclear. This trial examined the effects of a 12-month HRT and high-impact physical exercise regimen on skeletal muscle in women in early menopause. A total of 80 women aged 50–57 years were assigned randomly to one of four groups: exercise (Ex), HRT, exercise+HRT (ExHRT) and control (Co). The exercise groups participated in a high-impact training programme. The administration of HRT (oestradiol/noretisterone acetate) or placebo …
Influence of Vascular Load on Plasma Endothelin-1, Cytokines and Catecholamine Levels in Essential Hypertensives
1998
In vitro studies demonstrated a relationship between ET-1 and basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF), and of bFGF with Platelet Derived Growth Factor (PDGF). The present study was carried out to investigate in vivo the behaviour after vascular stress of circulating ET-1, bFGF and PDGF, and catecholamines, and their relationship. In 12 healthy normotensives (NTs) and 15 essential hypertensives (Ehs) venous blood samples to determine circulating ET-1, bFGF and PDGF, and catecholamine (EPI and NE) levels were drawn before and at the third minute of a handgrip test. Blood pressures (BP) and heart rate were automatically recorded before starting, and at 1, 2, and 3 minutes during the test. The NT…
Perivascular nerve fiber α-synuclein regulates contractility of mouse aorta: A link to autonomic dysfunction in Parkinson's disease
2010
Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders associated to changes in alpha-synuclein often result in autonomic dysfunction, most of the time accompanied by abundant expression of this synaptic protein in peripheral autonomic neurons. Given that expression of alpha-synuclein in vascular elements has been previously reported, the present study was undertaken to determine whether alpha-synuclein directly participates in the regulation of vascular responsiveness. We detected by immunohistochemistry perivascular nerve fibers containing alpha-synuclein in the aorta of mice while aortic endothelial cells and muscular fibers themselves did not exhibit detectable levels of this protein…
Kinin receptors in human vascular tissue: their role in atheromatous disease
1997
Using samples of many human blood vessels, obtained at autopsy and specific antibodies directed to peptide sequences of the kinin B1 and B2 receptors, we demonstrate the localisation of these receptors within the human vascular system using standard immunolabelling techniques. In large elastic arteries and veins, kinin receptors are present only in the endothelial cells whereas in all muscular arteries and arterioles, these receptors are present in both the endothelial and smooth muscle cells. The identification of kinin receptors in human blood vessels confirms that kinins may modulate both vascular permeability and contractility. The incidental finding at histology, of patchy atheromatous…
Relaxant effect of dopamine on the isolated rat uterus.
1988
The effect of dopamine was studied on the isolated uterus of diethylstilboestrol-treated rats. Dopamine, at concentrations (10(7)-10(-4) M) produced a concentration-dependent relaxation in the K+-depolarized rat uterus. On a molar basis, dopamine was about 500 times less potent than adrenaline in relaxing the uterus, the maximum degree of relaxation obtained with both drugs was the same. Pretreatment of the rats with reserpine (5 mg/kg) did not produce any modification of the dose-response curve to dopamine. Similarly, cocaine (3 x 10(-6) M) failed to modify the relaxant effect of dopamine. The dopamine induced relaxation was inhibited by propranolol (10(-9)-10(-7) M) in a dose-dependent ma…
Possible role of cyclic AMP in the relaxation process of mammalian heart: effects of dibutyryl cyclic AMP and theophylline on potassium contractures …
1976
The effect of dibutyryl cyclic AMP (DB-c-AMP; 3 X 10(-4)-3 X 10(-3) M) on electrically induced twitch and high potassium (142.4 mM KCl)-induced contracture tension was studied in papillary muscles from normal and reserpinized cats ([Ca]0 1.8 mM; 25 degrees C; pH 7.4). In both groups of preparations, the increase in twitch tension evoked by DB-c-AMP was accompanied by an abbreviation of the time to peak force and of relaxation time. In the same preparations, the high potassium contracture was markedly depressed by DB-c-AMP in a concentration-dependent manner. Similar results were obtained with the N6-monobutyryl derivative of cyclic AMP. The relaxing effects of the cyclic nucleotides on KCl …
Effect of histamine on the longitudinal and circular muscle of the oestrogen dominated rat uterus.
1993
The response of the longitudinal and circular myometrial strips to histamine was studied in oestrogen-treated rats. Histamine produced a dose-related inhibitory response in KCl-contracted longitudinal and circular uterine strips. Histamine was equipotent in producing the relaxant response but the maximal effect achieved in the longitudinal muscle was higher than the circular one. Ranitidine antagonized the histamine-induced relaxation with a similar dose ratio in both longitudinal and circular strips. Clemizole and reserpine treatment did not produce any modification of the dose-response curve to histamine. In the longitudinal and circular strips which were not preconstricted by KCl, neithe…
Effects of sodium fluoride on the mechanical activity in mouse gastric preparations.
2005
The aim of the present study was to investigate the responses induced by sodium fluoride (NaF) on gastric mechanical activity, using mouse whole-stomach preparations. The mechanical activity was recorded in vitro as changes of intraluminal pressure. In most of the preparations, NaF induced a tetrodotoxin-insensitive biphasic effect characterized by early relaxation followed by slowly developing contractile response. The contraction was dependent on the concentration of NaF, whereas the relaxation was observed at only 10–30 mmol/L NaF. The contractile effect was significantly reduced by nifedipine (an L-type Ca2+channel blocker), ryanodine or ruthenium red (inhibitors of Ca2+release from sar…
Endothelial modulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine-induced contraction in goat cerebral arteries.
1993
Abstract 1. 1. In isolated goat middle cerebral artery segments, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT, 10 −8 −3 × 10 −5 M) caused concentration-dependent contractions, with EC 50 = 2.1 (1.9−2.5) × 10 −7 M and E max = 60 ± 2% of 50 mM KCl-induced contraction. 2. 2. Mechanical removal of endothelium significantly increased the E max (91 ± 8%) and did not change the EC 50 value of 5-HT-elicited contractions. 3. 3. Incubation of unrubbed arteries with the irreversible inhibitor of EDRF, gossypol (10 −5 M), significantly increased the contractile response to 5-HT ( E max = 77 ± 4%). 4. 4. Incubation of unrubbed arteries with the competitive inhibitor of the NO synthesis, N G -nitro - l -arginine (L-NOARG) …
Response to dopamine agonists of the rat isolated uterus.
1993
1. Quinpirole did not produce any effect in isolated uterus from oestrogenized rats even when it is contracted by KCl (37 mM). 2. Fenoldopam produced a relaxant effect on rat isolated uterus contracted by KCl which was not significantly modified by SCH 23390. 3. Reserpine decreased the effect of the lowest doses of fenoldopam. In reserpinized rats, propranolol (10(-9), 10(-8), 10(-7) M) antagonized the effect of the lowest doses of fenoldopam and neither SCH 23390, sulpiride nor ranitidine modified the effect of fenoldopam. 4. The results confirm our previous finding that DA1-receptors are not functional in our preparation. The effect of fenoldopam was partially due to a catecholamine-relea…