© 2000 by European Society of Cardiology
Copyright © 2000, European Society of Cardiology
The interrelationship between chloride ions and endothelium on 
1-adrenoceptor-mediated contractions in aortic rings from Dahl normotensive and hypertensive rats
Division of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's, St. John's NF, Canada
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +1-709-737-6864; fax: +1-709-737-7010 rtabrizc{at}morgan.ucs.mun.ca
Objectives: The effects of chloride-free buffer in the absence or presence of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, N
-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), or chloride channel antagonist, indanyloxyacetic acid 94 (IAA-94) on 
1-adrenoceptor mediated contractions were investigated in aortic rings from Dahl salt-resistant normotensive (SRN) and salt-sensitive hypertensive (SSH) rats on a 4% salt diet. Methods: Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured via intra-arterial catheters under halothane anesthesia. Subsequently, the aorta was removed and cirazoline-induced contractions were recorded in normal Krebs and chloride-free buffer using ring preparation. Guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic GMP) content of aortic rings was also determined by scintillation proximity assay kits. Results: Systolic and diastolic blood pressure of SSH (180/130±1/1, mean±S.E.; n = 14) were significantly higher than those of SRN (101/76±1/1, mean±S.E.; n = 14) 7 weeks after they were placed on a salt diet. While the presence of L-NAME failed to have any impact on cirazoline-induced contractions in aortic rings from SSH rats, it significantly accentuated the effects of cirazoline in tissues from SRN rats. On the other hand, IAA-94 was able to inhibit cirazoline-mediated contractions in aortic rings from both SRN and SSH rats. The removal of chloride ions potentiated contractions produced by cirazoline in tissues from SRN but not SSH rats. Moreover, cirazoline-evoked responses in tissues from SRN were not further accentuated by the inclusion of L-NAME in chloride-free buffer. Cirazoline-mediated contractions in tissues from SSH rats were not influenced by absence of chloride ions, and the presence of L-NAME. It was also apparent that the inclusion of IAA-94 in absence of chloride ions did not prevent the potentiation of responses to cirazoline. Removal of chloride ions did not significantly decrease basal cyclic GMP levels in aortic rings from either strain. Conclusions: Basal release of nitric oxide seems to make a greater contribution in the suppression of cirazoline-evoked contractions in vessels from SRN as opposed to SSH rats. Chloride channels appear to contribute to cirazoline-evoked contractions in normal Krebs but not in chloride-free buffer.
KEYWORDS Arteries; Hypertension; Nitric oxide; Cl-channel; Vasoactive agents