Peroxynitrite-induced relaxation in isolated rat aortic rings and mechanisms of action

The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of peroxynitrite (ONOO-), the product of superoxide and nitric oxide, on isolated segments of rat aorta. In the absence of any vasoactive agent, ONOO- (from 10(-8) to 10(-4) M) failed to alter the basal tension. In phenylephrine (PE; 5 x 10(-7) M)-precontracted rat aortic rings (RAR), ONOO- elicited concentration-dependent relaxation at concentrations of from 10(-8) to 10(-4) M. The effective concentrations producing approximately 50% of maximal relaxation (ED50) to ONOO- were 1.84 x 10(-5) M and 1.96 x 10(-5) M in intact and denuded RAR, respectively (P > 0.05). No significant differences in the relaxation responses were found between RAR with or without endothelium (P > 0.05). The presence of either 5 microM methylene blue (MB) or 5 microM 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo-[4,3-alpha]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ) significantly inhibited the relaxations induced by ONOO-. Sildenafil (10(-7) M), on the other hand, significantly potentiated the ONOO--induced relaxations. Tetraethylammonium chloride (T-2265) significantly decreased the ONOO--induced relaxations in a concentration-dependent manner. However, ONOO- had no effect on RAR precontracted by high KCL (40 mM, n = 6, P > 0.05). Addition of calyculin A also significantly decreased the ONOO--induced relaxation in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, ONOO- significantly inhibited calcium-induced contractions of K+-depolarized aortic rings in a concentration-related manner. Lastly, a variety of other pharmacological agents and antagonists including L-NMMA, L-arginine, indomethacin, atropine, naloxone, diphenhydramine, cimetine, glibenclamide, haloperidol, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase did not influence the relaxant effects of ONOO- on RAR. Our new results suggest that ONOO--triggered relaxation on rat aortic rings is mediated by elevation of cGMP levels, membrane hyperpolarization via K+-channel activation, activation of myosin phosphatase activity, and interference with calcium movement and cellular membrane Ca2+ entry.