Elevated Blood Pressure Occurs without Endothelial Dysfunction in a Rat Model of Pulmonary Emphysema

Figures

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  Figure 1. Cardiac characterization of in vivo arterial pressure in vigil animals. Bar graphs represent systolic (a), diastolic (b) and pulsed (c) arterial pressures and heart rate (d) measured by tail-cuff for all animals in each group. Data were expressed as mean ± s.e.m for Ctrl (n = 20), ELA-LPS (n = 20) and ELA-LPS-BB (n = 12). ** p < 0.01, **** p < 0.0001 for comparison vs. Ctrl; § p < 0.05 for comparison vs. ELA-LPS.

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  Figure 2. Cardiac morphological characterization of aorta. Bright-field images illustrate representative histological Van Gieson staining of rat aorta sections and illustrate elastin fiber structure and media thickness (a). Scale bar = 500 µm. Bar graphs summarize media thickness (b), internal diameter (c) and elastin ratio (d) for Ctrl (n = 13), ELA-LPS (n = 13) and ELA-LPS-BB (n = 10). Data are presented as mean ± s.e.m. * p < 0.05, **** p < 0.0001 for comparison vs. Ctrl; §§§§ p < 0.001 for comparison vs. ELA-LPS.

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  Figure 3. Contractile responses of aorta. Curves summarize cumulative dose-responses to KCl (a) and phenylephrine (b) in aortic rings from Ctrl (open circle), ELA-LPS (black circle) and ELA-LPS-BB (grey circle) with (line) and without endothelium (dotted line) for KCl. Bar graphs present the maximal contractions induced by KCl (c), phenylephrine (d) and the thromboxane A2 agonist U46619 (e) with and without endothelium in all experimental groups. Data represent mean ± s.e.m for Ctrl (n = 20), ELA-LPS (n = 20) and ELA-LPS-BB (n = 12). ** p < 0.01, * p < 0.05 for comparison vs. Ctrl; § p < 0.05 for comparison vs. ELA-LPS.

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  Figure 4. Vasorelaxant responses of rat aorta. Curves summarize cumulative dose-responses to acetylcholine (a) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) (b) in aortic rings from Ctrl (white symbol), ELA-LPS (black symbol) and ELA-LPS-BB (grey symbol). Bar graphs present the maximal relaxations induced by acetylcholine (c) and SNP (d) in all experimental groups. Data represent mean ± s.e.m for Ctrl (n = 20), ELA-LPS (n = 20) and ELA-LPS-BB (n = 12). *** p < 0.001, ** p < 0.01, * p < 0.05 for comparison vs. Ctrl.

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  Figure 5. Effect of L-Name and indomethacin on acetylcholine-induced vasorelaxant response. Curves summarize cumulative dose-responses to acetylcholine in the absence (plain line) and in the presence of L-name (hashed line) and indomethacin (dotted line) in aortic rings from Ctrl (a), ELA-LPS (b) and ELA-LPS-BB (c). Bar graphs present the difference in the area under curve between relaxation with and without L-name or indomethacin for each group (d) and maximal relaxation for the different conditions (e). Data are expressed as mean (n = 20 for Ctrl and ELA-LPS, and n = 12 for ELA-LPS-BB). # p < 0.05, ## p < 0.01 for comparison of dose responses with and without indomethacin for each group; * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01 for comparison vs. Ctrl; § p < 0.05 for comparison vs. ELA-LPS.