Role of prostaglandin, endothelin and sympathetic nervous system on the l-NAME-induced pressor responses in spontaneously hypertensive rats

• Published in: Brain research 2003-09, Vol.983 (1), p.162-173
• Main Authors: Salas, Nilson, Terrell, Mary Lee A, Summy-Long, Joan Y, Kadekaro, Massako
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetamides - pharmacology; Angiotensin II; Angiotensin II - metabolism; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Chlorisondamine - pharmacology; Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors - pharmacology; Endothelin Receptor Antagonists; Endothelins - physiology; Enzyme Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Ganglionic Blockers - pharmacology; Heart Rate - drug effects; Hypertension; Indomethacin - pharmacology; Injections, Intraventricular; L-754,142; Losartan - pharmacology; Male; Motor control and motor pathways. Reflexes. Control centers of vegetative functions. Vestibular system and equilibration; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester - administration & dosage; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester - pharmacology; Nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - physiology; Nitric Oxide Synthase - antagonists & inhibitors; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; Oligopeptides - pharmacology; PD 145065; Prostaglandins - physiology; Rats; Rats, Inbred SHR; Sympathetic nervous system; Sympathetic Nervous System - physiology; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
• ISSN: 0006-8993; 1872-6240
• DOI: 10.1016/S0006-8993(03)03052-X

We tested the hypothesis that in spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) NO produced centrally influences the resting arterial blood pressure by attenuating mechanisms involving prostaglandins, angiotensin II, endothelin and sympathetic nervous system. l-NAME (200 μg/5 μl), an inhibitor of NO synthase, administered intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) to awake and freely moving rats increased mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) in a biphasic pattern: an early transient increase within 1 min and a late prolonged response starting at 45 min and persisting for the duration of experiment (180 min). The two pressor responses involve different neurochemical mechanisms and, based on their latencies, they appear to reflect different anatomical sites of action of l-NAME. The late, but not the early pressor response, was prevented by pretreatment with chlorisondamine (2.5 mg/kg, i.v.), a ganglionic blocker, indicating its dependence on the sympathetic nervous system. Both pressor responses were abolished by i.c.v. pretreatment with indomethacin (200 μg/5 μl, i.c.v.), an inhibitor of cyclo-oxygenase, showing that they are mediated by prostaglandin(s). In contrast, losartan (25 μg/5 μl), an angiotensin II AT 1 receptor antagonist, had no effect. The initial pressor response was also attenuated by pretreatment with the endothelin ET A/ET B receptor antagonist, PD 145065 (48 μg/2 μl, i.c.v.). Intravenous pretreatment with another ET A/ET B receptor antagonist, L-754,142 (15 mg/kg as a bolus+15 mg/kg/h for 180 min), however, attenuated both responses to l-NAME. It is possible that L-754,142 crossed the blood–brain barrier and blocked, in addition, central ET A/ET B receptors. These studies show that NO synthesized in the brain attenuates pressor mechanisms involving prostaglandin, endothelin and sympathetic nervous system, but not angiotensin II, to modulate resting arterial blood pressure.