Akita spontaneously type 1 diabetic mice exhibit elevated vascular arginase and impaired vascular endothelial and nitrergic function.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Elevated arginase (Arg) activity is reported to be involved in diabetes-induced vascular endothelial dysfunction. It can reduce L-arginine availability to nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS) and NO production. Akita mice, a genetic non-obese type 1 diabetes model, recapitulate human diabetes. We determined the role of Arg in a time-course of diabetes-associated endothelial dysfunction in aorta and corpora cavernosa (CC) from Akita mice.

Methods and results

Endothelium-dependent relaxation, Arg and NOS activity, and protein expression levels of Arg and constitutive NOS were assessed in aortas and CC from Akita and non-diabetic wild type (WT) mice at 4, 12 and 24 wks of age. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was assessed by tail cuff. In aorta and CC, Akita mice exhibited

SUBMITTER: Toque HA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3747112 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature