Article date: August 1996
By: Alicia Sánchez, María de Jesús Gómez, Ana Luisa Dorantes, José Luis Rosales, Gustavo Pastelín, Vicente Díaz, Francisco Posadas, Bruno Escalante, in Volume 118, Issue 8, pages 2017-2022
Differences in vascular responses to phenylephrine, acetylcholine (ACh) and potassium chloride (KC1) were studied in rabbit aorta from female and male rabbits, in the absence and presence of an inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) production, NG‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (L‐NAME, 100 μm).
Phenylephrine and KC1‐induced contractions, were significantly reduced in amplitude (P < 0.01) in the rings from female rabbits compared to those from male rabbits.
ACh‐induced relaxation was greater (P < 0.01) in aortic rings from females than from males.
Incubation of the rings with L‐NAME abolished the phenylephrine‐induced contraction differences between rings from male and female rabbits.
Ovariectomy eliminated the differences in vascular responses to phenylephrine, KC1 and ACh of aortic rings from the female rabbits.
Both basal and ACh‐stimulated release of nitrites from aortic rings was greater (P < 0.01) in vascular tissue from female than male rabbits.
These results indicate that differences in vascular reactivity in aortic rings from male and female rabbits may be associated with a higher release of NO, resulting in an increased vasodilator response in the female rabbits.
Differences in vascular responses to phenylephrine, acetylcholine (ACh) and potassium chloride (KC1) were studied in rabbit aorta from female and male rabbits, in the absence and presence of an inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) production, NG‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (L‐NAME, 100 μm).
Phenylephrine and KC1‐induced contractions, were significantly reduced in amplitude (P < 0.01) in the rings from female rabbits compared to those from male rabbits.
ACh‐induced relaxation was greater (P < 0.01) in aortic rings from females than from males.
Incubation of the rings with L‐NAME abolished the phenylephrine‐induced contraction differences between rings from male and female rabbits.
Ovariectomy eliminated the differences in vascular responses to phenylephrine, KC1 and ACh of aortic rings from the female rabbits.
Both basal and ACh‐stimulated release of nitrites from aortic rings was greater (P < 0.01) in vascular tissue from female than male rabbits.
These results indicate that differences in vascular reactivity in aortic rings from male and female rabbits may be associated with a higher release of NO, resulting in an increased vasodilator response in the female rabbits.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1996.tb15638.x
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