Cardiovascular pharmacologyNitric oxide modulation of endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor in agonist-induced depressor responses in anesthetized rats

Vasodilators, such as prostacyclin, nitric oxide (NO), and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF), released from the vascular endothelium are important in the maintenance of systemic blood pressure. Some studies have shown that NO affects EDHF-induced vasodilator responses in isolated perfused blood vessel segments. However, the effects of NO on EDHF-mediated dilation, and their contribution to systemic blood pressure, have not been clarified. Therefore, in the present study we investigated the mechanisms underlying acetylcholine- and bradykinin-induced depressor responses, as well as the interaction between NO and EDHF, by measuring systemic blood pressure in anesthetized rats. In the presence of indomethacin and NG-nitro-l-arginine (l-NA; an NO synthase inhibitor), apamin plus charybdotoxin significantly inhibited depressor responses to acetylcholine and bradykinin, whereas glibenclamide, iberiotoxin, quinacrine, catalase, and combination of ouabain plus BaCl2 failed to inhibit EDHF-induced depressor responses. 4-Aminopyridine significantly inhibited depressor responses to acetylcholine, but not to bradykinin. In the presence of indomethacin and l-NA, carbenoxolone, a gap junction inhibitor, significantly inhibited depressor responses to agonists. l-NA alone significantly potentiated agonist-induced depressor responses. In contrast, infusion of sodium nitroprusside, an NO donor, or 8-br-cGMP significantly inhibited depressor responses to agonist. The findings of the present study raise the possibility that agonist-induced depressor responses are elicited by propagation of endothelial hyperpolarization via apamin- plus charybdotoxin-sensitive K+ channels to smooth muscle cells through gap junctions, but not by diffusible substance(s). It is suggested that, in anesthetized rats, the EDHF-induced depressor response is attenuated in the presence of endogenous and exogenous NO via an increment in cGMP.