Acetylcholine-induced relaxation of peripheral arteries isolated from mice lacking endothelial nitric oxide synthase.

ABSTRACT: 1. Acetycholine-mediated relaxations in phenylephrine-contracted aortas, femoral and mesenteric resistance arteries were studied in vessels from endothelial nitric oxide synthase knock-out (eNOS -/-) and the corresponding wild-type strain (eNOS +/+) C57BL6/SV19 mice. 2. Aortas from eNOS (+/+) mice relaxed to acetylcholine in an endothelium-dependent NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG) sensitive manner. Aortas from eNOS (-/-) mice did not relax to acetylcholine but demonstrated enhanced sensitivity to both authentic NO and sodium nitroprusside. 3. Relaxation to acetylcholine in femoral arteries was partially inhibited by L-NOARG in vessels from eNOS (+/+) mice, but relaxation in eNOS (-/-) mice was insensitive to a combination of L-NOARG and indomethacin and the guanylyl cyclase inhibitor 1H-[1,2

SUBMITTER: Waldron GJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1571697 | biostudies-literature | 1999 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature