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The participation of brain NO synthase in blood pressure control of adult spontaneously hypertensive rats

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Abstract

Increased blood pressure (BP) in genetic hypertension is usually caused by high activity of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) which is enhanced by central angiotensin II but lowered by central nitric oxide (NO). We have therefore evaluated NO synthase (NOS) activity as well as neuronal NOS (nNOS), inducible NOS (iNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS) protein expression in brainstem and midbrain of adult spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) characterized by enhanced sympathetic vasoconstriction. We also studied possible participation of brain NO in antihypertensive effects of chronic captopril treatment of adult SHR. NOS activity was increased in midbrain of SHR compared to Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. This could be ascribed to enhanced iNOS expression, whereas nNOS expression was unchanged and eNOS expression was reduced in this brain region. In contrast, no significant changes of NOS activity were found in brainstem of SHR in which nNOS and iNOS expression was unchanged, but eNOS expression was increased. Chronic captopril administration lowered BP of adult SHR mainly by attenuation of sympathetic tone, whereas the reduction of angiotensin II-dependent vasoconstriction and the decrease of residual BP (amelioration of structural remodeling of resistance vessels) were less important. This treatment did not affect significantly either NOS activity or expression of any NOS isoform in the two brain regions. Our data do not support the hypothesis that altered brain NO formation contributes to sympathetic hyperactivity and high BP of adult SHR with established hypertension.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank M. Schützová for NOS activity determination. This work was in part supported by the Grant Agency of Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic (Grant NR 7786-3/2004).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Physiology AS CR, Charles University, Videnska 1083, 142 20, Prague 4, Czech Republic

    Silvie Hojná, Michaela Kadlecová, Zdenka Dobešová, Josef Zicha & Jaroslav Kuneš

  2. Institute of Physiology, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

    Věra Valoušková

  3. Cardiovascular Research Center, Prague, Czech Republic

    Silvie Hojná, Michaela Kadlecová, Zdenka Dobešová, Věra Valoušková, Josef Zicha & Jaroslav Kuneš

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  1. Silvie Hojná
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  2. Michaela Kadlecová
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  3. Zdenka Dobešová
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  4. Věra Valoušková
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  5. Josef Zicha
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  6. Jaroslav Kuneš
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Correspondence to Jaroslav Kuneš.

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Hojná, S., Kadlecová, M., Dobešová, Z. et al. The participation of brain NO synthase in blood pressure control of adult spontaneously hypertensive rats. Mol Cell Biochem 297, 21–29 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-006-9318-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-006-9318-0

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