This study investigated norepinephrine release during electrical nerve stimulation and inhibitory characteristics of presynaptic ƒ¿2-adrenoceptors in perfused mesenteric vasculature from deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats (7-8 weeks after surgery). Electrical stimulation of sympathetic innervation caused a significantly greater release of endogenous norepinephrine into th...

Leukocyte adhesion to endothelial cells plays a key role in inflammatory processes associated with end-organ injury. Endothelin-1 (ET-1), which stimulates inflammatory processes, contributes to cardiovascular damage in deoxycorticosterone (DOCA)-salt hypertension. We investigated whether ETA receptor blockade modulates in vivo leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions and expression of cell adhes...

We previously reported that inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) prevented the hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy induced by deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt (DOCA-salt) in 129/SvEvTac mice, which have 2 renin genes (Ren-1 and Ren-2). In the present study, we induced hypertension by uninephrectomy and DOCA-salt in mice having only the Ren-1 gene (C57BL/6J) and investigat...

We hypothesized that impaired cardiopulmonary reflexes but not altered baroreceptor reflexes precede deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertension. Uninephrectomized rats were given either DOCA and 0.9% NaCl as drinking water, 0.9% NaCl alone, or tap water. We measured mean blood pressure, heart rate, and renal sympathetic nerve activity. After 8 days, mean blood pressure was not differe...

The present study tested the hypothesis that there is impaired function of alpha(2)-adrenergic autoreceptors and increased transmitter release from sympathetic nerves associated with mesenteric arteries and veins from DOCA-salt rats. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to measure the overflow of ATP and norepinephrine (NE) from electrically stimulated mesenteric artery and vein prep...

Arteries from deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt and N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) hypertensive but not normotensive rats develop spontaneous tone. LY294002 and wortmannin, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) inhibitors, eliminate spontaneous tone. We hypothesized that PI3-kinase protein and/or activity was increased in hypertension and contributed to the observed enhanced contracti...

Angiotensin II and nitric oxide (NO) may play a role in hypertensive cardiovascular remodeling. We evaluated the effects of long-term treatment with quinapril, an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, on expression of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), ACE, and angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor in the left ventricle and evaluated these relations to myocardial remodeling in deoxycortico...

These studies examined adrenergic reactivity of mesenteric arteries and veins from deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt (DOCA-salt) hypertensive and sham control mice. We measured constrictions in unpressurized arteries and veins by monitoring vessel diameter using computer-assisted video micros-copy in vitro. Veins were more sensitive than arteries to the constricting effects of norepinephrine (NE...

Infiltration of macrophages into the artery wall plays detrimental roles during hypertension by promoting vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, and it occurs via a chemo-attractant action of chemokines on macrophage cytokine receptors. We sought to identify the key chemokine receptors associated with macrophage infiltration into the vascular wall during deoxycorticosterone acetate ...

The structural and mechanical properties of small arteries are altered in rat models of hypertension. The precise role of humoral factors in these changes has not been determined. In deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) salt hypertension, endothelin-1 (ET-1) peptide content and gene expression are enhanced in mesenteric resistance arteries. These vessels also present augmented vasoconstrictor res...