Insulin effects on the sympathetic contraction of rabbit ear arteries

Electrical field stimulation (4 Hz, 0.2 ms, 70 V supramaximal voltage, 10 s duration) produced contraction of perfused rabbit central ear arteries, and this contraction was reduced by incubation with insulin (0.6--200 mU/ml). This inhibitory effect of insulin was not significantly modified by removing the endothelium, or by treatment with N(W)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NA, 10(-4) M), meclofenamate (10(-5) M), ouabain (10(-6) M), or cocaine (10(-5) M). Insulin (200 mU/ml) did not modify the vascular contraction due to exogenous norepinephrine (10(-8)--10(-4) M) nor the relaxation due to acetylcholine (10(-8)--10(-4) M). This suggests that insulin may reduce vascular contraction by sympathetic stimulation, and this effect is not dependent on endothelial nitric oxide, prostanoids, or Na(+)--K(+) pump activation.