Publications 2005-1999

2004-2005

No publications 2005

2003

  • Treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism by high calcium diet is associated with enhanced resistance artery relaxation in experimental renal failure

    CONCLUSIONS: Deficient vasorelaxation via K(+) channels was normalized by high calcium diet in experimental RF. This effect was independent of the degree of renal impairment and blood pressure, but was associated with improved calcium metabolism: plasma levels of PTH and phosphate were decreased and ionized calcium was increased.
  • Increased calcium intake reduces plasma cholesterol and improves vasorelaxation in experimental renal failure

    Chronic renal failure (CRF) is associated with abnormal lipid metabolism and high prevalence of vascular complications. Calcium salts are commonly used in CRF as phosphate binders. Increased calcium intake may also lower plasma cholesterol and beneficially influence vascular tone. Therefore, we investigated the influence of increasing dietary calcium from 0.3% to 3.0% for 8 wk after 5/6 nephrectomy (NTX) on plasma cholesterol and mesenteric resistance vessel tone in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The...
  • Vascular influences of calcium supplementation and vitamin D-induced hypercalcemia in NaCl-hypertensive rats

    This 8-week study investigated the effects of increasing dietary Ca2+ content from 1.0% to 3.0% and hypercalcemia induced by oral 1alpha-OH vitamin D3 (1OH-D3, 1.2 microg/kg), on arterial tone in NaCl-hypertensive rats. The high-Ca2+ diet completely prevented the increase in blood pressure induced by the 6.0% NaCl chow, while plasma total Ca2+ and body weight were not different from controls. The 1OH-D3 treatment moderately elevated plasma total Ca2+ and attenuated the NaCl-induced rise in blood...
  • AT1 receptor blockade improves vasorelaxation in experimental renal failure

    It is not known whether angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonists can influence the function and morphology of small arteries in renal failure. We investigated the effect of 8-week losartan therapy (20 mg/kg per day) on isolated mesenteric resistance arteries by wire and pressure myographs in 5/6 nephrectomized rats. Plasma urea nitrogen was elevated 1.6-fold after nephrectomy, and ventricular synthesis of atrial and B-type natriuretic peptides was increased 2.2-fold and 1.7-fold, respectively,...

2002

  • Preserved endothelium-dependent but impaired beta-adrenergic relaxation of the resistance vessels in experimental renal failure

    Chronic renal failure is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and reduced arterial elasticity. Only little information is available on the functional effects of uraemia on resistance arteries. Therefore, we studied the influence of renal failure on rat small mesenteric vessels. The responses of arterial rings were investigated in a Mulvany myograph 6 weeks after 5/6 nephrectomy or sham operation. The subtotal nephrectomy resulted in a 1.9-fold elevation of plasma urea nitrogen but...
  • Long-term physical exercise and atrial natriuretic peptide in obese Zucker rats

    Endurance training increases natriuretic peptide synthesis in the hypertrophied myocardium of spontaneously hypertensive rats. We examined the effects of 22-week-long treadmill exercise on plasma and tissue atrial natriuretic peptide in Zucker rats, a model of genetic obesity and moderate hypertension without clear cardiac hypertrophy. The blood pressures of the animals were measured by the tail-cuff method, and plasma and tissue samples for the peptide determinations were taken at the end of...

2001

  • Direct effect of thyroxine on pig sphincter of Oddi contractility

    Sphincter of Oddi (SO) motility has an important role in the regulation of bile flow. SO function disturbances (stenosis or dyskinesia) may prevent normal bile flow and thus enhance the probability of common bile duct (CBD) stone formation. Previously we have shown that there is an increased prevalence of diagnosed hypothyroidism in CBD stone patients, compared with gallbladder stone patients or age-, sex-, and hospital-admission-adjusted controls. The present study was done to test the...

2000

  • Histamine in the control of porcine and human sphincter of Oddi activity

    Histamine decreases sphincter of Oddi (SO) contractility in vivo in opossum, but increases contractility in vitro in guinea-pig. In resistor-like SO, such as in pig and man, the histamine effect is poorly known. We investigated the effect of histamine on pig SO in vivo and in vitro and on human SO in vitro. Perfusion manometry catheter and two silver electrodes for simultaneous pressure and electromyography registration were inserted into the SO transduodenally by laparotomy in six anaesthetized...
  • High-calcium diet enhances vasorelaxation in nitric oxide-deficient hypertension

    Because the effects of calcium supplementation on arterial tone in nitric oxide-deficient hypertension are unknown, we investigated the influence of elevating dietary calcium from 1.1 to 3.0% in Wistar rats treated with N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 20 mg. kg(-1). day(-1)) for 8 wk. A high-calcium diet attenuated the development of hypertension induced by L-NAME and abrogated the associated impairments of endothelium-independent mesenteric arterial relaxations to nitroprusside,...
  • Arterial responses in vitro and plasma digoxin immunoreactivity after losartan and enalapril treatments in experimental hypertension

    Treatment with the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, quinapril, has been shown to normalize increased dihydropyridine sensitivity and impaired potassium relaxation, characteristic features of arterial smooth muscle in spontaneously hypertensive rats, and also reduce the concentration of plasma digoxin-like immunoreactivity in these animals. However, whether angiotensin II receptor blocker therapy can beneficially influence these variables is not known. Therefore, we compared the effects...

1999

  • Exercise enhances vasorelaxation in experimental obesity associated hypertension

    CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the antihypertensive effect of long-term exercise in experimental obesity related hypertension is associated with improved vasodilatation. This is expressed as enhanced relaxation via endogenous and exogenous nitric oxide, and increased endothelial prostacyclin production. The improved control of arterial tone after training could be attributed to the alleviation of hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance, whereas hyperinsulinaemia per se remained...
  • Differential regulation of cardiac adrenomedullin and natriuretic peptide gene expression by AT1 receptor antagonism and ACE inhibition in normotensive and hypertensive rats

    CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that ventricular ADM synthesis is an insensitive marker of changes in haemodynamic load or cardiac hypertrophy. Furthermore, the expression of ADM, ANP and BNP genes is differently regulated both in the left ventricle and atria in response to AT1 receptor antagonism and ACE inhibition.
  • Arterial function in nitric oxide-deficient hypertension: influence of long-term angiotensin II receptor antagonism

    CONCLUSION: Chronic L-NAME-induced hypertension was associated with attenuated arterial relaxation via endothelium-dependent and -independent mechanisms, both of which were improved by the losartan treatment. The mechanisms whereby losartan enhanced arterial relaxation in this model of experimental hypertension may have included enhanced hyperpolarization and increased sensitivity to NO in smooth muscle, and decreased vascular production of superoxide and vasoconstrictor prostanoids.
  • Potassium channel-mediated vasorelaxation is impaired in experimental renal failure

    Chronic renal failure is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and abnormal arterial tone, but the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are poorly understood. Therefore, we studied the responses of isolated mesenteric arterial rings from Wistar-Kyoto rats in standard organ chambers 6 wk after subtotal (5/6) nephrectomy or sham operation. Subtotal nephrectomy resulted in a 1.7-fold elevation of plasma urea nitrogen, whereas blood pressure was not significantly affected....
  • Interleukin-1beta-induced nitric oxide synthesis in aortic rings from normal and hyperinsulinaemic rats: effect of physical exercise

    Insulin has been suggested to prevent the induction of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in vitro in arterial smooth muscle, but whether such a mechanism is operative in vivo is not known. Therefore, we evaluated the sensitivity of smooth muscle NOS to induction by interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) in aortic rings of lean and obese Zucker rats, a model of experimental hyperinsulinaemia. In order to modulate the insulin and glucose balance of the rats, a 22-week-long treadmill exercise was included in the...
  • Control of vascular tone in isolated mesenteric arterial segments from hypertensive patients

    1. Experimental hypertension is associated with several functional alterations of vascular endothelium and smooth muscle, but relatively few studies have examined the control of arterial tone in isolated vascular preparations from patients with essential hypertension. Therefore, we compared functional characteristics in vitro of distal ring segments of the mesenteric artery from 17 hypertensive and 22 normotensive humans. 2. Arterial constrictor responses induced by cumulative addition of Ca(2+)...
  • Effects of continuous versus intermittent ethanol exposure on rat sympathetic neurons

    CONCLUSIONS: Ethanol-induced degeneration of neurons is not only related to the amount of ethanol consumed, but also to the patterns of drinking.
  • Control of mesenteric arterial tone in vitro in humans and rats

    The majority of the findings concerning arterial physiology and pathophysiology originate from studies with experimental animals, while only limited information exists about the functional characteristics of human arteries. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to compare the control of vascular tone in vitro in mesenteric arterial rings of corresponding size (outer diameter 0.75-1 mm) from humans and Wistar-Kyoto rats. The relaxations to acetylcholine (ACh) were clearly less marked in the...
  • Losartan and enalapril therapies enhance vasodilatation in the mesenteric artery of spontaneously hypertensive rats

    We studied the effects of 10-week long enalapril and losartan treatments (4 and 15 mg kg(-1) day(-1), respectively) on mesenteric arterial function in vitro in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). The relaxations of noradrenaline-precontracted rings to acetylcholine, nitroprusside and cromakalim were similar in WKY and enalapril- and losartan-treated SHR, and more pronounced than in untreated SHR. The responses to acetylcholine were attenuated by...
  • Coenzyme Q10 supplementation and recovery from ischemia in senescent rat myocardium

    Many studies have suggested that parenteral administration of coenzyme Q10 (Q10) protects the myocardium of young experimental animals from post-ischemic reperfusion injury. Although parenteral administration, in contrast to per os supplementation, seems to elevate coenzyme Q concentrations in heart tissue, it is not suitable for prophylactic use. In addition, the incidence of ischemic events is greatest in older age. We studied the effect of Q10 supplementation on myocardial postischemic...
  • Influence of chronic ethanol consumption on arterial tone in young and aged rats

    The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of long-term ethanol consumption on arterial responses in vitro in young and aged rats. Therefore, Wistar rats (ages 3 and 29 mo, respectively) were allocated to six groups: control-young, sucrose-young, ethanol-young, control-aged, sucrose-aged, and ethanol-aged. The ethanol-fed groups were given 25% ethanol by intragastric gavage three times a day 4 days a week. Responses of mesenteric arterial rings were examined in standard organ chambers...