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Background and purpose: The present study investigated mechanisms underlying impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilatation elicited by elevating the intraluminal pressure in rat mesenteric small arteries. Experimental approach: Arterial segments (internal diameter 31672 mm, n ¼ 86) were mounted in a pressure myograph. The effect of elevating pressure from 50 to 120 mmHg for 1 h before resetting it to 50 mmHg was studied on endotheliumdependent vasodilatation. Key results: In arteries constricted with U46619 in the presence of indomethacin, shear stress generated by flow, evoked vasodilatation that was abolished by an inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthase, asymmetric dimethylarginine (1 mM), whereas acetylcholine-induced vasodilatation was unchanged. After elevation of intraluminal pressure for 1 h and then resetting it to 50 mmHg, vasodilatation induced by shear stress and the NO donor, S-nitrosopenicillamine was inhibited, while vasodilatation induced by a guanylyl cyclase activator, BAY 412272, and acetylcholine was unaltered. Superoxide levels sensitive to polyethylene glycol superoxide dismutase were increased in segments exposed to elevated pressure. A superoxide scavenger, tempol (300 mM), a general endothelin receptor antagonist, SB 217242 and the selective ET A receptor antagonist, BQ 123 preserved shear stress-evoked vasodilatation. Conclusions and Implications: The present study shows that transient exposure to an elevated intraluminal pressure selectively inhibits flow-evoked NO-mediated vasodilatation, probably through activation of endothelin receptors and increased formation of superoxide. In contrast, elevation of pressure did not affect the acetylcholine-evoked endotheliumderived hyperpolarizing factor type vasodilatation in mesenteric small arteries.

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