Effect of chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia on relaxation of aorta and mechanisms in developing rats / 中国药理学通报

ABSTRACT

Aim To investigate the effect of chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (CIHH) on relaxation of thoracic aorta rings in male developing rats and the underlying mechanisms. Methods Male neonatal Spra-gue-Dawlay ( SD) rats were randomly divided into eight groups respectively CIHH treatment group (CIHH), group of one-week post-CIHH (CIHH-pl), group of two-week post-CIHH ( CIHH-p2 ) , group of three-week post-CIHH (CIHH-p3 ) , control group for CIHH (Con), control group for CIHH-pl (Con-1), control group for CIHH-p2 ( Con-2) and control group for CIHH-p3 (Con-3 ). Rats in CIHH groups were put into a hypobaric chamber with the mother rats 1 ~ 3 days before the birth to get a hypobaric hypoxia exposure mimicking 3 km altitude for 42 days, 5 hours daily. Rats in control groups were kept in the same environment as CIHH rats except hypoxia exposure. After anaesthetized with pentobarbital sodium (50 mg • kg-1 i. p. ), the thorax of rats was opened and thoracic aorta rings were made. The artery rings were placed in the bath chamber filled with K-H solution, and the relaxation of artery rings was recorded under normoxia or a-cute hypoxia conditions, respectively. Results (1) Under normoxia condition, the acetylcholine ( ACh)-induced relaxation of thoracic aorta increased obviously in CIHH groups compared with corresponding Con groups ( P < 0. 05 ). ( 2 ) The enhancing effect of CIHH treatment on thoracic aorta could be maintained for at least three weeks (P < 0. 05). (3 ) Under acute hypoxia condition, ACh-induced relaxation of thoracic aorta in each group decreased obviously, but the decrease in CIHH groups was significant less than that in Con groups ( P < 0.05 ). (4) The enhancement of CIHH on relaxation of thoracic aorta could be reversed by indomethacin (Indo), a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, glibenclamide (Gli), a KATP blocker, and Tempo, a free radical scavenger. Conclusions CIHH augments endothelium-dependent relaxation in thoracic aorta of developing rats. Also, CIHH can antagonize the inhibition of acute hypoxia on relaxation of thoracic aorta. The enhancing effect of CIHH treatment may be related with the increase of prostacyclin, the opening of KATP and free radical production.