AIM: To evaluate the effects of atorvastatin on large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel(BKCa,MaxiK) of arteria mesenterica minor smooth muscle cells in spontaneously hypertensive rats.METHODS: Twelve male spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR) aged 9 weeks were randomly divided into atorvastatin treatment group(ATV group,n=6) and distilled water group(DW group,n=6),and 6 Wistar-Kyoto rats were as normal control group(n=6).Atorvastatin and appropriate distilled water were administered to rats in ATV group(50 mg?kg-1?d-1) for 10 weeks by intragastric administration.The changes of abdominal aortic blood pressure were observed and the contents of TC,TG,LDL-C in serum were measured before and after treatment.The arterial mesenterica smooth muscle cell potassium current were recorded using whole cell patch clamp.The BKCa membrane capacitance and its current densitys were detected after the BKCa was blocked using tetraethylammonium.RESULTS: The abdominal aorta blood pressure in ATV group was much lower than that in DW group[(171?8) mm Hg vs(190?10) mm Hg,P

Objective To investigate the expression of adiponectin (APN) and the clinical significance in type 2 diabetic rats with cerebral ischemic reperfusion damage.Methods One hundred and four SD rats were randomly divided into two groups,including normal diet group (n=52) and diabetic diet group (n=52); middle cerebral artery occlusion was performed in some of the rats to induce ischemia reperfusion injury models.Normal diet group was then randomly divided into euglycemia group (n=8) and ischemia reperfusion group (I/R,n-44); diabetic diet group was randomly divided into diabetes groups (n=8) and diabetes complicated with ischemia reperfusion group (DM+I/R,n=44).The blood was collected to detect the APN changes from the tail vein of rats from diabetes group (n=4) and DM+I/R group (n=4) before MCAO surgery and at 3,6,24,48 and 72 h,and 7 d after reperfusion.The rest 40 rats were randomly divided into subgroups subjected to 90 min of focal ischemia followed by 3,6,24 and 72 h,and 7 d reperfusion (n=8); the neuroethology assessment was determined by Zea Longa method; morphology of brain tissue was observed by HE staining.APN expression in infarction cores was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting.Results The assessment scores of DM+I/R group (2.79±0.41) were significantly higher than those of I/R group (1.27±0.45,P＜0.05).As compared with that in the I/R group,the serum APN level in the DM+I/R group was significantly decreased 3,6,24,48 and 72 h,and 7 d after reperfusion (P＜0.05).Cerebral tissue damage (cellular degeneration and necrosis) in DM+I/R group was more serious as compared with I/R group at the same reperfusion time.In the ischemic hemisphere,APN expression increased at 3 h,decreased at 6 h,and increased again till 24 h after reperfusion,and then it remained at high level up to 7 days after reperfusion.The expression of APN in DM+I/R group was significantly lower than that in the I/R group (P＜0.05).These findings were consistent with the results of Western blotting.Conclusion APN expression decreases after focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury,indicating that APN plays an important role in aggravating ischemic reperfusion injury by diabetes.