Endothelin antagonists block alpha1-adrenergic constriction of coronary arterioles.

We have previously observed that intracoronary administration of the alpha1-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine (PE) over a period of minutes induced both an immediate and long-lasting (2 h) vasoconstriction of epicardial coronary arterioles. Because it is unlikely that alpha1-adrenergic constriction would persist for hours after removal of the agonist, this observation supports the view that another constrictor(s) is released during alpha1-adrenergic activation and induces the prolonged vasoconstriction. Therefore, we hypothesized that the prolonged microvascular constriction after PE is due to the production of endothelin (ET). We focused on ET not only because this peptide produces potent vasoconstriction but also because its vasoconstrictor action is characterized by a long duration. To test this hypothesis, the diameters of coronary arterioles (<222 micrometers) in the beating heart of pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs with stroboscopic intravital microscopy were measured during a 15-min intracoronary infusion of PE (1 microgram. kg-1 . min-1) and at 15-min intervals for a total of 120 min. All experiments were performed in the presence of beta-adrenergic blockade with propranolol. At 120 min, arterioles in the PE group were constricted (-23 +/- 9% change in diameter vs. baseline). Pretreatment with the ET-converting enzyme inhibitor phosphoramidon or the ETA-receptor antagonist FR-139317 prevented the PE-induced constriction at 120 min (-1 +/- 3 and -6 +/- 3%, respectively, P < 0.01 vs. PE). Pretreatment with the selective alpha1-adrenergic antagonist prazosin (Prz) also prevented the sustained constriction (0 +/- 2%, P < 0.01 vs. PE) but Prz given 60 min after PE infusion did not (-13 +/- 3%). In the aggregate, these results show that vasoconstriction of epicardial coronary arterioles via alpha1-adrenergic activation is blocked by an ET antagonist and an inhibitor of its production. From these data, we conclude that alpha1-adrenergic activation promotes the production and/or release of ET, which produces or facilitates microvascular constriction of epicardial canine coronary arterioles.

Requisite role of cardiac myocytes in coronary alpha1-adrenergic constriction.

BACKGROUND: Alpha-adrenergic activation in vivo causes constriction of coronary arterioles, but, paradoxically, in vitro these microvessels do not contract to this stimulus. We hypothesized that cardiac myocytes have a requisite role in alpha1-adrenergic coronary arteriolar constriction through the release of myocyte-derived contractile factor(s). METHODS AND RESULTS: Administration of the alpha1-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine did not constrict isolated coronary arterioles, but constriction was observed to supernatant obtained from phenylephrine-treated cardiac myocytes. Constriction to the supernatant was blocked by administration of an endothelin-A antagonist to the microvessel preparation or an alpha-adrenergic antagonist to the myocytes and was augmented after administration of an adenosine antagonist. Administration of phenylephrine to the myocytes increased endothelin-1 levels in the supernatant, but only to subthreshold concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac myocytes have a requisite role in constriction of coronary resistance vessels to alpha1-adrenergic stimuli, which may be mediated by endothelin-1 and other unidentified myocyte-derived vasoconstrictors.

Control of microvascular resistance in physiological conditions and reperfusion.

Regulation of coronary microvascular resistance is not distributed uniformly, but varies across different segments of the vasculature. Differences in regulatory mechanisms, including metabolic, myogenic, alpha-adrenergic and endothelial cell mediated, help define a series of coronary vascular microdomains. Generally, small arterioles, those less than 100 microns in diameter, respond differently than large arterioles or small arteries. This segmental distribution suggests an integrative hypothesis of regulation whereby a variety of mechanisms play a role in the overall response. One pathology that disturbs these control mechanisms in the microcirculation of the heart is reperfusion injury. Reperfusion injury of the microcirculation has as its primary target the vascular endothelium. The mechanisms responsible for reduced endothelium-dependent relaxation, likely include a reduction in the levels of tetrahydrobiopterin, a co-factor of nitric oxide synthase. Manipulation of levels of tetrahydrobiopterin in endothelial cells may be beneficial in the prevention of the pathophysiological sequelae of reperfusion injury in the coronary microcirculation.

Restoration of endothelium-dependent vasodilation after reperfusion injury by tetrahydrobiopterin.

BACKGROUND: A deficit in the endothelial production of nitric oxide (NO) is associated with the sequelae of reperfusion injury. Because endothelial NO synthesis depends on the cofactor tetra-hydrobiopterin (BH4), we hypothesized that depletion of this cofactor underlies the reduction of endothelium-dependent dilation in reperfusion injury. METHODS AND RESULTS: After occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery of a pig for 60 minutes followed by 90 minutes of reperfusion (ischemia/reperfusion), hearts were removed and the arterioles were isolated, cannulated, pressurized, and placed on an inverted microscope stage. Dose responses to the endothelium-independent dilator sodium nitroprusside and the endothelium-dependent dilators serotonin, A23187, and substance P were obtained under control conditions, after incubation with sepiapterin (intracellularly converted to BH4) or synthetic BH4 6-methyltetrahydropterin (MH4), and again after their washout. After ischemia/reperfusion, sodium nitroprusside maximally dilated arterioles (99 +/- 3%), whereas relaxation to serotonin, A23187, and substance P was significantly reduced (19 +/- 9%, 44 +/- 9%, and 54 +/- 8%, respectively). During incubation with sepiapterin (1 mumol/L) or MH4 (10 mumol/L), endothelium-dependent dilation was significantly enhanced (P < .05), whereas the response to sodium nitroprusside was unaltered. After washout, the vasodilatory responses were not significantly different from the initial ischemia/reperfusion responses. Sepiapterin and MH4 did not affect vasodilatory responses in vessels obtained from nonischemic control hearts. As after ischemia/reperfusion, incubation of control vessels with 2,4-diamino-6-hydroxypyrimidine, an inhibitor of GTP cyclohydrolase I, decreased endothelium-dependent vasodilation, which was restored in the presence of sepiapterin or MH4. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that exogenous administration of sepiapterin or MH4 restores the response to endothelium-dependent vasodilators in pig coronary arterioles after ischemia/ reperfusion. We therefore conclude that ischemia/reperfusion alters the availability or production of BH4, which contributes to blunted endothelial nitroxidergic vasodilation.

PAF attenuates endothelium-dependent coronary arteriolar vasodilation.

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) has been reported to play a role in neutrophil activation, microvascular permeability, and endothelial dysfunction in a variety of vascular preparations. Although a majority of the effects of PAF are thought to be mediated by the activation of neutrophils, it is unclear the extent to which the deleterious effects of PAF extend to coronary resistance vessels. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether PAF causes coronary arteriolar endothelial dysfunction in vivo and whether this dysfunction is independent of activated neutrophils. To test these hypotheses, we measured changes in coronary arteriolar diameter to endothelium-dependent and -independent dilators in vivo by measuring coronary microvascular diameters in a beating canine heart using intravital videomicroscopy following intracoronary infusion of PAF (20 ng.kg-1.min-1). Changes in coronary arteriolar diameter following incubation with PAF were also measured in isolated coronary arterioles. In vivo, incubation with PAF resulted in a significant attenuation of endothelium-dependent dilation to intracoronary acetylcholine (0.1 microgram.kg-1.min-1, 39 +/- 7 vs. 20 +/- 3% dilation) and serotonin (1 microgram.kg-1.min-1, 29 +/- 6 vs. 2 +/- 2% dilation). Papaverine-induced relaxation, however, was unchanged. Likewise, in vitro relaxation to serotonin (10 nM) was significantly reduced (38 +/- 4 vs. 3 +/- 5%) following treatment with PAF, whereas nitroprusside (10 nM)-induced relaxation was unchanged. Because PAF impaired endothelium-dependent arteriolar dilation both in vivo and in vitro, we conclude that the presence of activated neutrophils is not required for PAF-induced coronary microvascular dysfunction.

Endogenous adenosine modulates alpha 2- but not alpha 1-adrenergic constriction of coronary arterioles.

In the coronary circulation alpha-adrenergic constriction competes with metabolic vasodilation. Because adenosine is produced by the working myocardium and metabolic stimulation results in arteriolar dilation, we tested the hypothesis that coronary arteriolar alpha-adrenergic constriction is attenuated by the endogenous production of adenosine. To test this hypothesis, using fluorescence microscopy during stroboscopic epi-illumination of the epicardial microvasculature, we measured the diameter of coronary arterioles in anesthetized open-chest dogs. Measurements were made in the presence of beta-blockade during selective alpha 1- or alpha 2-adrenoceptor activation (phenylephrine or B-HT-933, respectively) before and in the presence of the nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist 8-p-sulfophenyltheophylline (8-pSPT) and expressed as a percent change in microvascular diameter relative to baseline. alpha 1-Activation produced constriction of coronary arterioles under control conditions, which was not augmented after adenosine antagonism (-12 +/- 2 vs. -7 +/- 3%). In contrast, alpha 2-activation did not constrict coronary arterioles under control conditions; however, blockade of adenosine receptors unmasked a significant constriction (0 +/- 2 vs. -7 +/- 2%, P < 0.05). Also adenosine antagonism did not significantly alter the baseline diameter of coronary arterioles. These results demonstrate that endogenously produced adenosine modulates alpha 2-adrenergic constriction of coronary arterioles but not alpha 1-adrenergic constriction, and therefore we speculate that the competition between alpha-adrenergic constriction and metabolic vasodilation is mediated by the alpha 1-adrenoceptor.

Role of nitric oxide in the coronary microvascular responses to adenosine and increased metabolic demand.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) participates in coronary microvascular responses to adenosine and pacing-induced increases in metabolic demand by maintaining an optimal distribution of coronary resistance. METHODS AND RESULTS: Coronary microvascular diameters were measured by stroboscopic epi-illumination and intravital microscopy in open-chest dogs (n = 20). Epicardial coronary blood velocity (CBV) was measured by Doppler flowmetry. Responses to adenosine (1 and 10 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 IC) and left atrial pacing (180 beats per minute) were recorded before and after inhibition of NO synthesis by NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 30 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 IC). At baseline, adenosine dilated arterioles (< 100 microns) (11 +/- 4% and 25 +/- 3% diameter changes, P < .05) more than small arteries (> 100 microns) (-4 +/- 6% and 7 +/- 3%, P < .05 for the higher dose) and increased CBV (43 +/- 31% and 118 +/- 25%, P < .05). Left atrial pacing dilated arterioles (12 +/- 2%, P < .05) and small arteries (8 +/- 3%, P < .05) and also increased CBV (68 +/- 9%, P < .05). L-NAME abolished CBV increases caused by acetylcholine (10 and 100 ng.kg-1.min-1 IC; 53 +/- 33% and 168 +/- 82% versus -12 +/- 15% and -1 +/- 14%, P < .05) but not papaverine. Small arteries were constricted by L-NAME (-8 +/- 2%, P < .05), arterioles were dilated (10 +/- 4%, P < .05), and CBV was unchanged. After L-NAME, adenosine failed to dilate arterioles further (3 +/- 3% and 2 +/- 2%; P < .05 versus prior responses), and CBV changes were attenuated (14 +/- 16% and 8 +/- 13%; P < .05 versus prior responses). Pacing also failed to dilate arterioles (-4 +/- 2%, P < .05 versus prior response), resulting in an attenuated CBV change (34 +/- 13%, P < .05 versus prior response). The possibility that adenosine stimulates NO release in canine coronary arterioles was investigated in isolated arterioles (diameters, 81 +/- 4 microns; n = 8). Adenosine caused dose-dependent dilation to maximal diameter, which was unaffected by inhibition of NO synthesis by L-NAME. CONCLUSIONS: Inhibition of NO synthesis attenuates coronary dilation during adenosine infusions and during pacing-induced increases in metabolic demand. Inhibition of NO synthesis may shift the major site of coronary resistance into small arteries through autoregulatory adjustments in arterioles. These data therefore suggest that NO, by dilating predominantly small coronary arteries, promotes metabolic coronary dilation by preserving the tone and vasodilator reserve of arterioles.

Coronary microcirculation: autoregulation and metabolic control.

The majority of studies examining the regulation of coronary blood flow and vascular resistance have considered the coronary circulation as being composed of large conduit vessels and resistance vessels. Recently, it has become apparent that regulation of coronary microvascular resistance is not distributed uniformly, but varies across different segments or microdomains of the vasculature. Generally, small arterioles, those less than 100 microns in diameter, respond differently than larger arterioles and small arteries. There are major differences in the level of autoregulatory control, myogenic control, endothelial modulation and control by metabolic factors across these various microvascular domains. There are also transmural variations which may account for some of the differences in coronary blood observed between epicardial and endocardial regions. In addition, interactions between these various regulatory mechanisms further complicate the understanding of coronary microvascular regulation. Importantly however, it may be these complex interactions and heterogeneous regulatory mechanisms which allow for adequate perfusion of the myocardium under an extreme range of metabolic conditions. This segmental distribution of regulation suggests an integrative hypothesis of regulation whereby a variety of mechanisms play a role in the overall response.

Endothelial regulation of coronary microvascular tone under physiological and pathophysiological conditions.

The endothelium has profound potential to modulate coronary arteriolar tone under a variety of physiological and pathophysiological situations. The endothelium in coronary microvessels is responsible for producing flow-dependent vasodilation, which is mediated by nitric oxide. The endothelium, however, does not mediate the myogenic response of coronary arterioles, but production of nitric oxide nevertheless modulates myogenic responses. The endothelium also has a role in coronary alpha-adrenergic vasoconstriction, because inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis augments coronary alpha 1 and alpha 2-adrenergic vasoconstriction. Other neurohumoral substances or autocoids also have their vasodilator actions mediated through the production of nitric oxide in coronary arterioles. Specifically, serotonin, adenosine diphosphate, and histamine all have their actions transduced through the production of nitric oxide. In the pathophysiological setting with impaired endothelial function, vasodilator responses to endothelium-dependent factors are significantly attenuated, and this can be reversed by administration of L-arginine. These impaired responses may contribute to the pathogenesis of ischaemic heart disease, especially that which occurs due to microvascular spasm.

Coronary vascular function after hemorrhagic hypotension in dogs.

This study tested the hypothesis that hemorrhagic hypotension alters intrinsic contraction-relaxation mechanisms of coronary arteries. Coronary vascular smooth muscle (VSM) was evaluated ex vivo using left circumflex coronary artery preparations isolated from beagle dogs 4 hr after sham hemorrhage (controls) or maintained hemorrhagic hypovolemia. Hemorrhaged dogs exhibited systemic hypotension (mean arterial pressure approximately 65 mm Hg), tachycardia, and tachypnea during the 4 hr in vivo phase of the study, accompanied by 30-50% reductions in left ventricular myocardial blood flows (P < 0.05). Coronary arteries isolated from these dogs were stretched to the asymptote of their length-contractile tension relationship; no significant differences were observed in length-active tension or length-passive tension relations between hemorrhage and control arteries. Similarly, neither the maximal responses nor the EC50 values for isometric contractions produced by prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) (10(-8) to 3 x 10(-5) M) or depolarizing concentrations of K+ (10-100 mM) were altered by hemorrhage (P > 0.05). Vasodilator responses to the cyclic guanosine monophosphate (GMP)-dependent VSM relaxant nitroprusside (10(-4) M) also were not prevented by the hemorrhage protocol. In contrast, coronary VSM relaxation induced by the endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine (10(-9)-10(-5) M) was significantly decreased by 25-50% in K(+)- and PGF2 alpha-precontracted coronary arteries from the hemorrhaged dogs (P < 0.01). We conclude that receptor (PGF2 alpha)-dependent and membrane depolarization (K+)-dependent contractile mechanisms remained operational in coronary arteries during hemorrhagic hypotension, as did basal cyclic GMP-dependent VSM relaxation mechanisms. However, diminution of acetylcholine-induced relaxation of coronary VSM suggests impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation in the coronary vasculature during acute (4 hr) hemorrhagic hypotension.

Preconditioning protects coronary arteriolar endothelium from ischemia-reperfusion injury.

The objectives of this study were to test the hypotheses that 1) endothelium-dependent regulation of coronary arteriolar reactivity is impaired after ischemia and reperfusion, and 2) preconditioning protects the arteriolar endothelium from reperfusion injury. In anesthetized open-chest dogs, coronary arteriolar diameters (30-110 microns) were measured in the beating heart using intravital microscopy during fluorescent stroboscopic epi-illumination in three groups: 1) control, 2) ischemia and reperfusion: 60-min occlusion and 120-min reperfusion of the left circumflex coronary artery, and 3) preconditioning: 10-min occlusion and reperfusion preceding ischemia-reperfusion. To evaluate endothelial reactivity, the diameter responses of coronary arterioles to the endothelium-dependent vasodilators, acetylcholine and serotonin, were assessed. Ischemia and reperfusion significantly reduced the increase in diameter by serotonin (0 +/- 2 vs. 11 +/- 3% change in controls; P < 0.05) and acetylcholine (7 +/- 2 vs. 20 +/- 2% in controls; P < 0.05). In contrast, preconditioning preserved the dilation to both serotonin (6 +/- 1%) and acetylcholine (24 +/- 3%; both NS vs. control; P < 0.05 vs. ischemia and reperfusion). Dilation by the endothelium-independent vasodilator, papaverine, was similar in the three groups, indicating similar levels of vasodilatory reserve and suggesting that the impaired dilation to acetylcholine and serotonin after ischemia and reperfusion was not due to nonspecific damage to vascular smooth muscle. These data demonstrate that ischemia-reperfusion significantly attenuates endothelium-dependent vasodilation of coronary arterioles in the intact beating heart. Furthermore, preconditioning reduces the endothelial dysfunction of coronary arterioles after ischemia-reperfusion.

Histamine increases venular permeability via a phospholipase C-NO synthase-guanylate cyclase cascade.

In this study, we hypothesized that histaminergic increases in venular permeability result from a cascade triggered by activation of phospholipase C (PLC), inducing the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO) and activating guanylate cyclase. The apparent permeability coefficient to albumin (Pa) was measured in isolated porcine coronary venules subjected to constant flow and hydrostatic and oncotic pressures. Histamine (2.5, 5, and 10 microM) transiently and progressively increased Pa. The PLC inhibitor 2-nitro-4-carboxyphenyl N,N-diphenylcarbamate (NCDC; 100 microM) decreased baseline permeability and abolished the effect of histamine. The NO synthase inhibitor NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA; 10 microM) and the guanylate cyclase inhibitor 6-anilinoquinoline-5,8-quinone (LY 83583; 10 microM) also blocked the histamine-induced hyperpermeability. L-Arginine (3 mM) reversed the inhibition by L-NMMA. NG-monomethyl-D-arginine did not influence the effect of histamine. Furthermore, sodium nitroprusside (10 microM) augmented Pa by two- to threefold; this effect was blocked in the presence of LY 83583 but not altered in the presence of NCDC. The results suggest that histamine increases coronary venular permeability by a direct action on the venular endothelial cells through a PLC-NO synthase-guanylate cyclase-signaling cascade.

Endothelium-dependent relaxation competes with alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenergic constriction in the canine epicardial coronary microcirculation.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine whether endothelium-dependent relaxation competes with alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenergic coronary microvascular constriction in the beating heart in vivo. METHODS AND RESULTS: Coronary microvascular diameters were measured using stroboscopic epi-illumination and intravital microscopy during fluorescein microangiography in open-chested dogs (n = 20). Both alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenergic receptors were selectively activated by intracoronary infusions of norepinephrine (0.05 and 0.2 microgram.kg-1 x min-1) in the presence of the alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist rauwolscine (0.2 mg/kg) or the alpha 1-adrenergic antagonist prazosin (0.75 mg/kg) during beta-adrenergic blockade (1 mg/kg propranolol). Microvascular diameters during selective alpha-adrenergic receptor activation were measured under baseline conditions and after inhibition of endogenous nitric oxide synthesis by an analogue of L-arginine, either NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NA, 30 mg/kg) or NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 30 mg/kg). Under baseline conditions, alpha 1-adrenergic activation constricted small arteries (vessels with diameters between 100 and 300 microns) (4 +/- 1% and 5 +/- 1% decrease in diameter for the low and high doses of norepinephrine, respectively, both p < 0.05) but did not change the diameter of arterioles (vessels with diameters < 100 microns). In contrast, alpha 2-adrenergic activation by the lower but not the higher dose of norepinephrine induced constriction of arterioles (6 +/- 2% and 3 +/- 4% decrease in diameter, p < 0.05 and NS, respectively) but not small arteries. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase activity by either L-NA or L-NAME produced constriction of small coronary arteries (9 +/- 2% decrease in diameter, p < 0.01) and arterioles (6 +/- 1% decrease in diameter, p < 0.05). The dilatation of small arteries and arterioles by acetylcholine (0.05 microgram-1 x kg-1 x min-1 intracoronary infusion; 10 +/- 1% increase in diameter under baseline conditions, p < 0.05) was abolished by either analogue. Both alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenergic coronary microvascular constriction were markedly potentiated after L-NA or L-NAME. alpha 1-Adrenergic constriction was unmasked in arterioles (7 +/- 3% and 10 +/- 4% decrease in diameter, p < 0.05), although it was not significantly increased in small arteries. Conversely, alpha 2-adrenergic constriction was unmasked in small arteries (8 +/- 1% and 6 +/- 2% decrease in diameter, both p < 0.05) and potentiated in arterioles (12 +/- 1% and 8 +/- 4% decrease in diameter, both p < 0.05). After L-NA or L-NAME, microvessels retained the ability to dilate to sodium nitroprusside (0.1 microgram.kg-1 x min-1 intracoronary infusion; 10 +/- 2% increase in diameter, p < 0.05). alpha-Adrenergic constriction was not accentuated by increased tone alone, since it was either attenuated or converted to dilatation during a similar degree of preconstriction by the endothelium-independent vasoconstrictor angiotensin II (p < 0.05 for both alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenergic activation). CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm that alpha-adrenergic receptors are widespread in the coronary microcirculation, with the baseline functional responses to alpha 1-adrenergic activation predominating in small arteries and those to alpha 2-adrenergic activation predominating in arterioles. Furthermore, coronary microvascular constriction caused by both alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenergic receptor activation is significantly modulated by endothelium-dependent relaxation, being markedly potentiated by inhibition of nitric oxide synthase activity. The data imply that alpha-adrenergic activation will assume considerable importance as a determinant of coronary microvascular resistance in pathophysiological situations associated with coronary endothelial impairment.

Coronary vascular smooth muscle function in E. coli endotoxemia in dogs.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether intrinsic contraction-relaxation properties of coronary arteries are altered during acute gram-negative endotoxemia. Coronary vascular smooth muscle (VSM) was evaluated in vitro using large and small left circumflex coronary ring preparations isolated from dogs 4 h after administration of either saline (control; C) or 1.5 mg/kg Escherichia coli endotoxin (ET). ET dogs exhibited marked systemic hypotension and cardiovascular depression throughout the 4-h in vivo phase of the study accompanied by reduction in total left ventricular myocardial blood flow. Isolated coronary vessels were stretched to the apex of the length-contractile tension curve; no differences were observed in length-active or length-passive tension (vessel compliance) relationships between C and ET vessels. Isometric contractions produced by K+ and prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) were similar in C and ET coronary arteries. VSM relaxant responses to nitroprusside (NP; 10(-10) to 10(-4) M) were also similar in C and ET vessels. In contrast to the apparent lack of effect of ET on directly acting VSM agents, relaxation responses to the endothelial-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine (ACh) were significantly less in ET vessels. Impaired vasodilator response to ACh was not improved by in vivo treatment with the combination antioxidant therapy of allopurinol, superoxide dismutase, and catalase. We conclude that both depolarization (K+) and receptor (PGF2 alpha)-mediated contractile mechanisms, as well as basal cGMP (NP)-mediated vasodilator mechanisms, remained functional in coronary vasculature during acute endotoxemia. Inhibition of ACh-mediated relaxation in ET vessels suggests altered endothelial-dependent vasodilation in coronary arteries during endotoxemia, but this change did not seem to be associated causally with oxygen free radicals.

Methodological approaches used for the study of the coronary microcirculation in situ.

Measurements of coronary microvascular parameters in situ are difficult because of the thickness of the heart muscle and cardiac contraction. Both of these problems hamper the visualization of the coronary microcirculation. We have refined methodological approaches that enable the study of the coronary microcirculation in situ. In the first approach, microvessels can be visualized in the beating heart using a preparation that compensates for cardiac motion by creating an illusion that the heart is motionless. This is accomplished by flashing a stroboscopic light source once per heart cycle at the same point in each cycle and synchronizing a ventilator with the cardiac cycle. Images of microvessels can be obtained using standard intravital video-microscopic techniques. To visualize the intramural and subendocardial microcirculation, studies are completed in isolated hearts. In this preparation, measurements of microvascular diameters and pressures can be performed in both the subepicardial and subendocardial microcirculations. This latter approach allows insight into transmural differences of coronary microvascular regulation.

Effects of cardiac sympathetic nerve stimulation during adrenergic blockade on infarct size in anesthetized dogs.

beta-Adrenergic blockade has been shown to limit myocardial infarct size (IS) in anesthetized dogs. The objective of the present study was to determine whether sympathetic activation in the presence of beta-adrenergic blockade would alter IS. Chloralose-anesthetized dogs were divided into five groups. All hearts were neurally decentralized and paced at 150 beats/min. The circumflex coronary artery was ligated distal to the first major branch. Group 1 (n = 5) had no treatment. Group 2 (n = 6) received timolol (0.2 mg/kg) intravenously before and throughout occlusion. Group 3 (n = 7) underwent left stellate stimulation (LSS; 8 Hz, 5 ms, 7-10 V) immediately following coronary artery occlusion and for the duration of occlusion. Group 4 (n = 5) received timolol in addition to LSS. Group 5 animals (n = 6) received prazosin (0.5 mg/kg i.v.) and timolol before circumflex occlusion and LSS following coronary artery occlusion. After 6 h, Evans blue dye was injected into the left atrium while the circumflex artery distal to the ligation was simultaneously perfused with saline. Hearts were rapidly excised, and the left ventricle was sliced and photographed. IS was determined and expressed as a percentage of the area at risk by planimetry. The following mean +/- SEM values were measured: Group 1, 23.5 +/- 5.3; Group 2, 34.2 +/- 1.4; Group 3, 31.4 +/- 7.8; Group 4, 59.3 +/- 3.9; and Group 5, 25.6 +/- 5.3%. Significant differences were found between Group 4 and all other groups (p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)