Published Online
on December 4, 2006

A more recent version of this article appeared on March 1, 2007

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Submitted on September 22, 2006
Revised on October 11, 2006

Cyclooxygenase-1 Is Involved in Endothelial Dysfunction of Mesenteric Small Arteries From Angiotensin II-Infused Mice

Agostino Virdis^*; Rocchina Colucci; Matteo Fornai; Emiliano Duranti; Chiara Giannarelli; Nunzia Bernardini; Cristina Segnani; Chiara Ippolito; Luca Antonioli; Corrado Blandizzi; Stefano Taddei; Antonio Salvetti; and Mario Del Tacca

From the Department of Internal Medicine (A.V., R.C., M.F., E.D., C.G., L.A., C.B., S.T., A.S., M.D.T.), Department of Human Morphology and Applied Biology, Section of Histology and General Embryology (N.B., C.S., C.I.), University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: a.virdis{at}med.unipi.it.

Abstract--Angiotensin II induces endothelial dysfunction by reducing NO availability and increasing reactive oxygen species. We assessed whether cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 or COX-2 participate in the angiotensin II-induced endothelial dysfunction in murine mesenteric small arteries and examined the role of reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate-dependent reactive oxygen species production. Mice received angiotensin II (600 ng/kg per minute, SC), saline (controls), angiotensin II + apocynin (reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase inhibitor, 2.5 mg/day), or apocynin alone for 2 weeks. Endothelial function of mesenteric arteries was assessed by pressurized myograph. In controls, acetylcholine-induced relaxation was inhibited by N^G-monomethyl-L-arginine and unaffected by DFU (COX-2 inhibitor), SC-560 (COX-1 inhibitor), or ascorbic acid. In angiotensin II-infused animals, the attenuated response to acetylcholine was less sensitive to N^G-monomethyl-L-arginine, unaffected by DFU, and enhanced by SC-560 and, similarly, by SQ-29548, a thromboxane-prostanoid receptor antagonist. Moreover, response to acetylcholine was unchanged by ozagrel, a thromboxane synthase inhibitor, and normalized by ascorbic acid. Apocynin prevented the angiotensin II-induced vascular dysfunctions. In angiotensin II-infused mice, RT-PCR analysis showed a significant COX-2 downregulation, whereas COX-1 expression was upregulated. These changes were unaffected by apocynin. Modulation of COX isoform by angiotensin II was also documented by immunohistochemistry. In small mesenteric vessels, the reduced NO availability and oxidant excess, which characterize endothelial dysfunction secondary to angiotensin II, are associated with a reduced COX-2 and an increased COX-1 function and expression. Angiotensin II causes an oxidative stress-independent COX-1 overexpression, whereas angiotensin II-mediated oxidant excess production stimulates COX-1 activity to produce a contracting prostanoid endowed with agonist activity on thromboxane-prostanoid receptors.

Key words: angiotensin II • microcirculation, cyclooxygenase • endothelium • oxidative stress

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