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Contractile responses to rat urotensin II in resting and depolarized basilar arteries

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Abstract

The effects of human urotensin II (hUII) on the vascular tone of different animal species has been studied extensively. However, little has been reported on the vasoactive effects of rat urotensin (rUII) in murine models. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of rUII on vasoreactivity in rat basilar arteries. Basilar arteries from adult male Wistar rats (300–350 g) were isolated, cut in rings, and mounted on a small vessel myograph to measure isometric tension. rUII concentrations were studied in both resting and depolarized state. To remove endothelial nitric oxide effects from the rUII response, we treated selected arterial rings with Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). 10 μM rUII produced a potent vasoconstrictor response in rat basilar arteries with intact endothelium, while isometric forces remained unaffected in arterial rings treated with lower rUII concentrations. Although L-NAME did not have a significant effect on 10 μM rUII-evoked contraction, it slightly increased arterial ring contraction elicited by 1 μM rUII. In depolarized arteries, dose-dependent rUII increased depolarization-induced contractions. This effect was suppressed by L-NAME. Our results show that the rat basilar artery has a vasoconstrictor response to rUII. The most potent vasoconstrictor effect was produced by lower doses of rUII (0.1 and 1 μM) in depolarized arteries with intact endothelium. This effect could facilitate arterial vasospasm in vascular pathophysiological processes such as subarachnoid hemorrhage and hypertension, when sustained depolarization and L-type Ca2+ channel activation are present.

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Abbreviations

EDHF:

Endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor

eNOS:

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase

hUII:

Human urotensin II

L-NAME:

Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester

LTCC:

L-type Ca2+ channel

rUII:

Rat urotensin II

UII:

Urotensin II

UT:

Urotensin II receptor

VSM:

Vascular smooth muscle

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Acknowledgments

This study is fully supported by grant 10/02044 from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Spanish National Health System). We thank Dr. Antonio Ordoñez for his assistance in this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla and Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Avenida Manuel Siurot s/n, 41013, Seville, Spain

    Cristina Porras-González, Juan Ureña & María del Carmen González-Montelongo

  2. Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Cuidados Críticos y Urgencias, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, IBIS/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Avenida Manuel Siurot s/n, 41013, Seville, Spain

    Juan José Egea-Guerrero, Elena Gordillo-Escobar, Francisco Murillo-Cabezas & María Ángeles Muñoz-Sánchez

  3. Departamento de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla, Avenida Sánchez Pizjuan, no. 4, 41009, Seville, Spain

    Francisco Murillo-Cabezas

Authors
  1. Cristina Porras-González
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  2. Juan Ureña
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  3. Juan José Egea-Guerrero
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  4. Elena Gordillo-Escobar
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  5. Francisco Murillo-Cabezas
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  6. María del Carmen González-Montelongo
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  7. María Ángeles Muñoz-Sánchez
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Correspondence to Cristina Porras-González.

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Porras-González, C., Ureña, J., Egea-Guerrero, J.J. et al. Contractile responses to rat urotensin II in resting and depolarized basilar arteries. J Physiol Biochem 70, 193–199 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13105-013-0293-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13105-013-0293-0

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