Reactive oxygen species (ROS), including superoxide anions, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals, can be produced in vivo by mechanisms related to mitochondrial respiration, xanthine oxidase (XOD), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), NADPH oxidase, and arachidonic acid metabolism.1,2) Disruption to one or more of these mechanisms is thought to be responsible for the pathogenesis of various diseases. [3][4][5][6] Of these mechanisms, XOD may be involved in the generation of ROS in the endothelium during ischemia and/or reperfusion. 7,8) Roy and McCord demonstrated that xanthine dehydrogenase is proteolytically converted to XOD in tissues within seconds or minutes of an ischemic episode, depending on the tissue involved. 9) Although both enzymes are involved in the catabolism of purine compounds, the latter transfers electrons to molecular oxygen to yield the ROS, superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide. 10,11) Thus, the deleterious effects of reoxygenation or reperfusion in ischemic tissues can therefore be explained on the basis of the ROS produced by the xanthine-XOD (XϩXOD) system. For a better understanding of the pathogenesis of tissue damage by ROS, it is important to clarify which species of oxygen intermediates are involved in these events, and whether or not there are differences in sensitivity to ROS among various tissues.The direct effects of ROS on cultured vascular endothelial cells or isolated, perfused tissues have been extensively investigated, either by using ROS directly, or using a ROS-generating system, such as the XϩXOD system. [12][13][14][15][16][17] In these studies, ROS scavengers are used to clarify the species of ROS involved in these effects. Among the various biological effects attributed to ROS, vascular endothelial dysfunction has consistently been noted, irrespective of the preparations used. 2,18) In addition, ROS generated by the XϩXOD system caused contraction of rat pulmonary artery 19) and canine basilar artery, 20) whereas it relaxed canine coronary artery, 21) implying the existence of species or tissue differences in response to ROS. Furthermore, the responses of arteries to ROS are well-known to be influenced by the presence of endothelium. 12,13,16) Thus, the responses of the vasculature, including the endothelium, to ROS are complex, and the sensitivity to ROS probably varies depending on the tissue involved. Disruption to the functional integrity of blood vessels will inevitably alter the function of the organ supplied by these vessels. Thus, in the present study, we directed our attention to the effects of ROS on porcine coronary artery, in terms of muscular and endothelial functions, and attempted to determine characteristics of the responses of each vascular element, and to clarify the specific ROS involved.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Preparation of Coronary Arterial RingsPorcine hearts, immersed in ice-cooled saline, were transported to the laboratory from an abattoir, usually within 1 h of death. The left anterior descending coronary artery was isolated 2-3 cm from its orig...