• Toxicological Research
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.141-148
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• 2014

Endothelium-derived relaxing factors (EDRFs), including nitric oxide (NO), prostacyclin ($PGI_2$), and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF), play pivotal roles in regulating vascular tone. Reduced EDRFs cause impaired endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation, or endothelial dysfunction. Impaired endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in response to acetylcholine (ACh) is consistently observed in conduit vessels in human patients and experimental animal models of hypertension. Because small resistance arteries are known to produce more than one type of EDRF, the mechanism(s) mediating endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in small resistance arteries may be different from that observed in conduit vessels under hypertensive conditions, where vasorelaxation is mainly dependent on NO. EDHF has been described as one of the principal mediators of endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in small resistance arteries in normotensive animals. Furthermore, EDHF appears to become the predominant endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation pathway when the endothelial NO synthase (NOS3)/NO pathway is absent, as in NOS3-knockout mice, whereas some studies have shown that the EDHF pathway is dysfunctional in experimental models of hypertension. This article reviews our current knowledge regarding EDRFs in small arteries under normotensive and hypertensive conditions.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.269-278
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• 1996

The mechanism of impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation in the aorta of one-kidney, one clip Goldblatt hypertensive (1K,1C-GBH) rats was investigated. 8 week-old Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were made hypertensive by left renal artery stenosis with contralateral nephrectomy. Endothelium-dependent relaxation was significantly reduced in 1K,1C-GBH rats as compared with WKY rats. However, the relaxation by sodium nitroprusside in 1K,1C-GBH rats was not reduced as compared with WKY rats. The impairment of endothelium-dependent relaxation in 1K,1C-GBH rats was partially restored by the pretreatment of indomethacin or SQ29548. When the nitric oxide production was inhibited by L-nitroarginine methyl ester, acetylcholine (ACh) induced a endothelium-dependent contraction that was greater in 1K,1C-GBH rats than in WKY rats. Endothelium-dependent contraction by ACh was completely abolished by indomethacin or SQ29548. However, imidazole, tranylcypromine and superoxide dismutase did not affect the endothelium-dependent contraction in 1K,1C-GBH rats. These results suggest that impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation in the 1K,1C-GBH rats might be due to the simultaneous release of EDCF, and that prostaglandin B2 may be involved as a mediator of endothelium-dependent contraction.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.21-31
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• 1996

To investigate the mechanisms of increased endothelium-dependent contraction by acetylcholine in hypertensive rats, the relationship between endothelium-dependent contraction by acetylcholine and blood pressure was studied in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), one-kidney, one clip Goldblatt hypertension (1K,1C-GBH) rats, and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). SHR were treated orally with enalapril or nicardipine in order to prevent development of hypertension or suppress the developed hypertension. 1K,1C-GBH rats were made by renal artery stenosis with contralateral nephrectomy in 8 week-WKY. 1. Endothelium-dependent contractions by acetylcholine $(10^{-6}{\sim}10^{-5}\;M)$ in SHR were significantly greater than those in WKY. 2. Chronic treatment with enalapril or nicardipine reduced the endothelium-dependent contraction in SHR 3. The degree of reduction of endothelium-dependent contraction was greater in SHR which was prevented from developing hypertension than in SHR of which high blood pressure was suppressed. 4. In aortic rings from 1K,1C-GBH rats, endothelium-dependent contractions by acetylcholine were augmented as compared with WKY. 5. There is good relationship between the value of blood pressure and magnitude of endothelium-dependent contraction. Thus, it is suggested that increased endothelium-dependent contraction in hypertensive rats may he due to the high blood pressure and endothelium-dependent contraction may not be a cause of the initiation of hypertension in SHR.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.180-191
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• 1990

A comparison was made of the effects of selective ${\alpha_1}-adrenoceptor$ agonist phenylephrine and selective ${\alpha_2}-adrenoceptor$ agonist clonidine on endothelium-containing and endothelium-denuded rings of the rat aorta. In the case of phenylephrine, removal of endothelium increased sensitivity 2.5 fold at $EC_{50}$ level and maximum contractive response 1.4 fold. In the case of clonidine, which gave only 15% of maximum contractive response given to phenylephrine on endothelium-containing rings, removal of the endothelium increased sensitivity 5.6 fold at $EC_{50}$ level and maximum contractive response 5 fold, which was about 55% of that given by phenylephrine. In endothelium-denuded ring, phenylephrine-induced contraction tended to be more increased in tonic contraction than in phasic contraction as compared to that in endothelium-containing ring, while clonidine-induced contraction was monophasic and was increased only in tonic contraction. In the calcium-free solution or in the presence, of verapamil, contraction stimulated by clonidine was almost abolished while that stimulated by phenylephrine produced only phasic contraction. The depression of sensitivity to these agonists in rings with endothelium appeared to be due to the vasodepressor action of endothelium derived relaxing factor (EDRF), because hemoglobin, a specific blocking agent of EDRF, abolished this depression. It is unlikely that the endothelium-dependent relaxation was due to stimulation of release of EDRF, because clonidine did not produce endothelium-dependent relaxation in 5-hydroxytryptamine-precontracted ring even when its contractile action was blocked by the ${\alpha_1}-adrenoceptor$ antagonist, prazosin. When the efficacy of phenylephrine was reduced to about the initial efficacy of clonidine by pretreatment with dibenamine, the contraction-response curves for phenylephrine became very similar to the corresponding curves obtained for clonidine before receptor inactivation. In the dibenamine-treated rings, contraction of phenylephrine was abolished in calcium-free solution or in the presence of verapamil like that obtained for clonidine before receptor inactivation. These results suggest that EDRF spontaneously released from endothelium depress contraction more profoundly in a case of an agonist with low efficacy and the phenylephrine-induced contraction was totally dependent on extracellular calcium as was that obtained for clonidine when the efficacy of phenylephrine was reduced to that of clonidine by irreversible inactivation of ${\alpha_1}-adrenoceptor$ with dibenamine.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 1995

This study was designed to test whether or not 1) ischemia-reperfusion attenuates endothelium-dependent relaxation of coronary arteries and 2) preconditioning protects the arterial endothelium from ischemia-reperfusion injury. In anesthetized open chest rabbits, branches of the left circumflex artery were exposed to different combinations of the experimental conditions; ischemia (15 minutes), ischemia (15 minutes)-reperfusion (10 minutes), preconditioning ischemia, and pre-conditioning fellowed by ischemia-reperfusion. Preconditioning consisted of 3 occlusions of 2-min duration, each followed by n 5-min reperfusion. Rings of the artery exposed to the experimental condition and of normal left anterior descending coronary artery were prepared and suspended for isometric force measurement in organ chambers containing Krebs Ringer bicarbonate solution. The rings were contracted with 29.6 mM KCI. Ischemia alone did not attenuate endothelium-dependent relaxation by acetylcholine. However, ischemia-reperfusion significantly impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation. Endothelium-independent relaxation by sodium nitroprusside was not impaired by ischemia-reperfusion and the constrictive response to acetylcholine was not altered in reperfused rings without endothelium, compared with control rings. Arterial rings exposed to preconditioning followed by ischemia-reperfusion exhibited impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation by acetyl-choline. However, although preconditioning not fellowed by ischemia-reperfusion, attenuated endothelium-dependent relaxation at low concentrations of acetylcholine, the magnitude of the impairment by preconditioning followed by ischemia-reperfusion was significantly less than that of the impairment by ischemia-reperfusion alone. These data demonstrate that ischemia-reperfusion significantly attenuates endothelium-dependent relaxation by producing endothelial dysfunction and preconditioning Protects the endothelium of coronary arteries from ischemia-reperfusion injury.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.99-107
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the current status of obesity intervention programs, and its effects on endothelium function in adolescents. Method: This was a descriptive research study, that investigated domestic and international literature 2009-2018. Using databases inside and outside of Korea to search for 'adolescent', 'obese adolescent', 'exercise', 'program', or 'intervention', and 'endothelium function', a total of 14 literature have been selected for 6 domestic research and 8 international research, excluding overlapping, case studies, literature reviews, and unrelated studies. Results: Interventions for enhancing endothelium function were exercise program, diet, vitamin D3 treatment, and Orlistat intake relative to international research, and combined exercise and purple sweet potato intake, in most domestic research. Dependent variables included FMD, RHI, NMD, EPCs, and EMPs, for measuring endothelium function in international research, and PWV, FMD and RHI, in domestic research. Conclusion: Results of this study confirmed that application of obese intervention programs, may improve endothelium function in adolescents. Further studies are required, to develop nursing intervention, that would enhance endothelium function in adolescents.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 2002

The present study was aimed to examine the role of endothelium in the relaxant effect of hawthorn fruit extract of Crataegus pinnatifida in four different types of rat arteries, posterior cerebral communicating artery, right descending coronary artery, common carotid artery, and aorta. In $9,11-dideoxy-11{\alpha}$, $9{\alpha}-epoxy-methanoprostaglandin$ $F_{2{\alpha}}$ (U46619)-preconstricted arterial rings except for aorta, the extract produced endothelium-independent relaxations with similar potency. This relaxation was unaffected by pretreatment with $100\;{\mu}M\;N^G-nitro-L-arginine$ methylester (L-NAME, the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor), $3\;{\mu}M$ 1H-[l,2,4]oxadiazolo$[4,2-{\alpha}]$quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, the guanylate cyclase inhibitor), or $10\;{\mu}M$ indomethacin (the cyclooxygenase inhibitor). Putative $K^+$ channel blockers (charybdotoxin plus apamin or glibenclamide) did not affect the extract-induced relaxation in cerebral or coronary artery rings. In contrast, in rat aortic rings the extract produced significantly smaller relaxant response in endothelium-denuded rings than that in endothelium-intact rings. Pretreatment with L-NAME or ODQ abolished the extractinduced endothelium-dependent aortic relaxation, whilst indomethacin $(3\;{\mu}M)$ had no effect. The present results indicate that hawthorn fruit extract possesses a vasorelaxing effect in cerebral, coronary and carotid arteries and this effect is independent of the presence of a functional endothelium. However, the extract-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation in rat aorta was mediated through endothelial nitric oxide and cyclic GMP-dependent mechanisms, suggesting that active components in the extract may act on endothelium to stimulate release of nitric oxide in large conduit arteries of the rats.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.393-402
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• 1997

In the present study, we characterized the angiotensin II (AII)-induced relaxations in the phenylephrine-precontracted rabbit mesenteric arteries with endothelium. 1) AII-induced relaxation was consistently observed in the rabbit mesenteric arteries with and without endothelium, but not in the aortic segment with endothelium. 2) AII-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation was markedly inhibited by $N^w-nitro-L-arginine$ (L-NNA, $100\;{\mu}M$), methylene blue ($10\;{\mu}M$) and LY83583 ($10\;{\mu}M$), respectively. 3) Inhibition of cyclooxygenase with indomethacin ($10\;{\mu}M$) strongly decreased the vasorelaxant response to AII irrespective of the presence of endothelium. 4) 7-Ethoxyresorufin ($1\;{\mu}M$) and clotrimazole ($1\;{\mu}M$), inhibitors of cytochrome P-450-dependent arachidonic acid metabolism, greatly attenuated the vasodilator response to AII. 5) Carbacyclin, arachidonic acid and prostaglandin $F_{2{\alpha}}$ ($PGF_{2{\alpha}}$) caused concentration-dependent relaxations in the mesenteric artery with endothelium, which were inhibited by L-NNA and methylene blue. 6) AII and $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ significantly stimulated cyclic GMP formation in the mesenteric arteries with endothelium, which was inhibited by L-NNA and methylene blue, respectively. 7) AII enhanced synthesis of $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ and 6-keto $PGF_{1{\alpha}}$ from the arterial segments with endothelium, which was inhibitable by indomethacin, but not by L-NNA. In conclusion, the vasorelaxant responses to AII of the rabbit mesenteric artery with endothelium are subserved by arachidonic acid and its metabolites produced via activation of cyclooxygenase and cytochrome P-450 enzyme as well as by nitric oxide.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 1993

Effects of the endothelium on the contractile responses to norepinephrine (NE) were investigated in isolated helical strips of the proximal and distal coronaries artery of pigs. The helical strips were immersed in Tris-buffered Tyrode's solution equilibrated with 100% $O_2$ at $35^{\circ}C$ and its isometric tension was measured. NE relaxed the strips precontracted with acetylcholine from both the proximal and distal coronary artery. NE-induced relaxation, which might be induced mainly by $\beta$-adrenoceptor function was dominant in the distal coronary arteries. NE-induced relaxation was converted to a contraction after $\beta$-adrenoceptor blockade with propranolol $(3{\times}10^{-6}M)$. ${\alpha}$-adrenoceptor-mediated contraction by NE was greater in the proximal coronary artery than the distal coronary artery. Quantitatively, ${\alpha}_1$-adrenoceptor mediated contraction by NE was greater than ${\alpha}_2$-adrenoceptor mediated contraction by NE in both arteries. NE-induced relaxation was decreased by rubbing of endothelium in both arteries. ${\alpha}_1-and\;{\alpha}_2$-adrenoceptor mediated contraction by NE were potentiated by rubbing of endothelium in both arteries. Pretreatment with methylene blue, an inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase, increased ${\alpha}_1-\;and\;{\alpha}_2$-adrenoceptor mediated contraction by NE in both arteries with endothelium. From the above results, we suggest that the effect of activation of $\alpha$-adrenoceptors by NE may be modulated by endothelium in the proximal and distal coronary arteries of pigs. This effect may be mediated via endothelium derived relaxing factor.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1993.09a
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• pp.40-48
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• 1993

Intravenous administration of saponin extracted from the root of Panax ginseng lowered the blood pressure dose-dependently (10-200 mg/kg, B.W) in anesthetized rats. Therefore, experiments were designed to study the hypothesis that the lowering of blood pressure is associated with the release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor and the accumulation of guanosine 3, 5-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP). Rings of thoracic aorta with and without endothelium were suspended for the measurement of isometric tension in organ chamber and the tissue content of cGMP was measured by radioimmunoassay. All experiments were performed in the presence of $indomethacin(10^{-5}M).$ Ginseng saponin $(10^{-5}-3{\times}10^{-6}g/ml)$ relaxed contractions induced by phenylephrine $10^{-6}M)$ in the aorta with endothelium but not in that without endothelium. Treatment of aortic rings with $N^G$ monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA, $10^{-4}M$ for 30 min), a competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, and methylene blue $(MB,\;3{\times}10^{-7}M$ for 30 min). an inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase, diminished the relaxation induced by Ginseng saponin. Ginseng saponin $10^{-4}g/ml$ for 2 min) increased the accumulation of cGMP in rings with endothelium. L-NMMA and MB inhibited the accumulation of cGMP induced by Ginseng saponin. These data suggest that vascular relaxations induced by Ginseng saponin are mediated by release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor and the accumulation of cGMP. The effect of Ginseng saponin on endothelial function in hypercholesterolemic rabbits was examined. In hypercholesterolemic rabbits fed with $2\%$ cholesterol for 8 weeks, relaxation of aortic rings to acetylcholine was impaired. The impaired relaxations of aortic rings in hypercholesterolemic rabbits were improved by dietary supplementation of Ginseng saponin, probably because of an improved release of endothelium - derived relaxing factor.