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Updated: Jul 15, 2026
Assessment of Vascular Tone Responsiveness using Isolated Mesenteric Arteries with a Focus on Modulation by Perivascular Adipose Tissues
Published on: June 3, 2019
Effect of L-carnitine and propionyl-L-carnitine on endothelial function of small mesenteric arteries from SHR
Maria Alvarez de Sotomayor1, Rosario Bueno, Concepción Pérez-Guerrero
1Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, Seville, Spain. aldesoto@us.es
Background:
The effect of treatment with either 200 mg x kg(-1) of L-carnitine (LC) or propionyl-L-carnitine (PLC) was studied on endothelial dysfunction of small mesenteric arteries (SMA) from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats.
Methods:
Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured and endothelial and vascular functions were assessed by the effect of carbachol (CCh) and phenylephrine (Phe). O2- produced by SMA and eNOS expression were evaluated by chemiluminescence and Western blot, respectively.
Results:
Although SBP was not affected, endothelial relaxation increased in both LC- and PLC-treated SHR. Nevertheless, the CCh-induced contraction remained sensitive to indomethacin in these rats. On the contrary, NO participation was increased in all the groups except for LC-treated WKY. Furthermore, high concentrations of Phe produced NO-dependent relaxation of SMA from PLC-treated rats. Both compounds decreased basal and NADPH-stimulated O2- in SHR toward values observed in WKY. Only PLC increased eNOS protein expression in SHR. Neither LC nor PLC affected endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor-induced relaxation.
Conclusions:
LC and its propionate improved endothelial responses of SMA from SHR by decreasing O2- production and thus increasing NO availability. PLC also increased NO synthesis by enhancing eNOS expression.
