Experiments were designed to characterize the cellular mechanisms of action of endothelium-derived vasodilator substances in the rabbit femoral artery. Acetylcholine (ACh, 10(-8)-10(-5) M) induced a concentration-dependent relaxation of isolated endothelium-intact arterial rings precontracted with norepinephrine (NE, 10(-6) M). The ACh-induced response was abolished by the removal of endothelium. NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NAME, 10(-4) M), an inhibitor of NO synthase, partially inhibited ACh-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation, whereas indomethacin (10(-5) M) showed no effect on ACh-induced relaxation. 25 mM KCl partially inhibited ACh-induced relaxation by shifting the concentration-response curve and abolished the response when combined with L-NAME and NE. In the presence of L-NAME, ACh-induced relaxation was unaffected by glibenclamide (10(-5) M) but significantly reduced by apamin (10(-6) M), and almost completely blocked by tetraethylammonium (TEA, 10(-3) M), iberiotoxin (10(-7) M) and 4-aminopyridine (4-AP, 5 x 10(-3) M). The cytochrome P450 inhibitors, 7-ethoxyresorufin (7-ER, 10(-5) M) and miconazole (10(-5) M) also significantly inhibited ACh-induced relaxation. Ouabain (10(-6) M), an inhibitor of Na+, K(+)-ATPase, or K(+)-free solution, also significantly inhibited ACh-induced relaxation. ACh-induced relaxation was not significantly inhibited by 18-alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid (18 alpha-GA, 10(-4) M). These results of this study indicate that ACh-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation of the rabbit femoral artery occurs via a mechanism that involves activation of Na+, K(+)-ATPase and/or activation of both the voltage-gated K+ channel (Kv) and the large-conductance, Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel (BKCa). The results further suggest that EDHF released by ACh may be a cytochrome P450 product.
Acetylcholine/pharmacology ; Animal ; Biological Factors/physiology* ; Female ; Femoral Artery/physiology* ; Femoral Artery/drug effects ; In Vitro ; Male ; Potassium Channels/physiology* ; Rabbits ; Vasodilation/physiology ; Vasodilator Agents/pharmacology

BACKGROUNDResearches in arterial elasticity have increased over the past few years. We investigated the effects of simvastatin on vascular stiffness in fat fed rabbits by ultrasonography.

METHODSThirty rabbits were assigned randomly to 3 groups: normal control group (A), the cholesterol group (B), simvastatin group (C: high fat diet for 4 weeks and high fat diet + simvastatin for further 4 weeks). Stiffness coefficient, pressure strain elastic modulus and velocity of pulse waves in abdominal aorta and femoral artery were measured by ultrasonographic echo tracking at the end of the 4th and the 8th weeks.

RESULTSAt the end of the 4th week, stiffness coefficient, pressure strain elastic modulus and pulse wave velocity of femoral artery were significantly increased in group B compared with those in group A. Similarly, at the end of the 8th week, the same parameters of abdominal aorta were significantly increased in group B compared with those in group A. In contrast, stiffness coefficient, pressure strain elastic modulus and pulse wave velocity of femoral artery were significantly decreased in group C compared with those in group B, however, there was no significant difference in parameters of abdominal aorta between groups B and C.

CONCLUSIONShort term administration of simvastatin can improve the elasticity of femoral artery but not abdominal aorta.

Animals ; Anticholesteremic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Aorta, Abdominal ; drug effects ; Blood Flow Velocity ; drug effects ; Dietary Fats ; adverse effects ; Femoral Artery ; drug effects ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Simvastatin ; therapeutic use

AIMTo study the vasorelaxation action of oxyphenamone (Oxy) and its mechanism.

METHODSThe contractile response of isolated rabbit renal, femoral and mesentery artery preparations was determined.

RESULTSOxy was shown to inhibit the contractile force of renal, femoral and mesentery arteries induced by phenylephrine in a concentration dependent manner. The vasorelaxation produced by Oxy was not attenuated by removal of the endothelium. Oxy (10(-6)-10(-4) mol.L-1) relaxed the contractions induced by KCl 30 mmol.L-1 as well as KCl 80 mmol.L-1, but the contraction curve of KCl 80 mmol.L-1 was shifted significantly to the right. Oxy in lower concentration (10(-6) and 5 x 10(-6) mol.L-1) increased the contractions induced by Ang II, and in middle concentration (10(-5) mol.L-1) it did not affect the contractions induced by Ang II. Whereas in higher concentration (5 x 10(-5) mol.L-1) it obviously inhibited the contractions induced by Ang II.

CONCLUSIONOxy showed significant vasorelaxation to various vascular preparations, and its vasorelaxation action is endothelium independent. The mechanism of its vasorelaxations seems to be related with Ca2+ activated K+ channel (Kca channel) and Ca2+ channel in vascular smooth muscle cells but its true mechanism needs further study.

Animals ; Cardiotonic Agents ; pharmacology ; Female ; Femoral Artery ; drug effects ; physiology ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Mesenteric Arteries ; drug effects ; physiology ; Organic Chemicals ; Phenylephrine ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated ; metabolism ; Rabbits ; Renal Artery ; drug effects ; physiology ; Vasodilation ; drug effects ; Vasodilator Agents ; pharmacology

BACKGROUNDA comparison of efficacy and safety between transradial and transfemoral approach for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in bifurcations has not been done. This study evaluated feasibility of transradial PCI (TRI) and compared the immediate and followup results with transfemoral PCI (TFI) in bifurcations.

METHODSOne hundred and thirty-four consecutive patients with bifurcations were treated with PCI in our hospital from April 2004 to October 2005. Of these, there were 60 patients (88 lesions) in TRI group and 74 patients (101 lesions) in TFI group. Bifurcations type was classified according to the Institut Cardiovasculaire Paris Sud Classification.

RESULTSTRI group had smaller stent diameter ((3.06 +/- 0.37) mm vs (3.18 +/- 0.35) mm, P = 0.023) and postprocedural in-stent minimum lumen diameter ((2.62 +/- 0.37) mm vs (2.74 +/- 0.41) mm, P = 0.029) than TFI, but there were not significant differences in in-stent subacute thrombosis rate (0% vs 1.0%, P = 0.349), target lesion revascularization (TLR) (0% vs 1.0%, P = 0.349) following procedure and thrombosis (2.3% vs 1.0%, P = 0.482), in-stent restenosis (12.5% vs 10.9%, P = 0.731), in-segment restenosis (17.0% vs 14.9%, P = 0.681), TLR (10.2% vs 13.9%, P = 0.446) and TLR-free cumulative survival rate (89.8% vs 86.1%, P = 0.787) at seven months followup. No death was reported in the two groups.

CONCLUSIONTransradial intervention is feasible and appears to be as effective and safe as transfemoral PCI in treatment of true bifurcational lesions.

Adult ; Aged ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; adverse effects ; methods ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Disease ; therapy ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Female ; Femoral Artery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radial Artery

The phytoestrogen genistein has been shown to relax agonist-preconstricted arteries in vitro, the mechanism of this relaxation remains incompletely understood. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of phytoestrogen genistein on the tension of rabbit femoral arteries in vitro and to determine the mechanism of such relaxation. The results are as follows: (1) genistein (10~40 micromol/L) relaxed femoral arterial rings in a concentration-dependent manner under the condition of precontraction induced by phenylephrine (PE, 1 micromol/L); (2) removal of the endothelium significantly inhibited genistein-induced relaxation; (3) pretreatment with NOS inhibitor N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 100 micromol/L) also significantly inhibited this relaxation by genistein, implying that the concentration-dependent vasorelaxation caused by genistein is endothelium-dependent and involved nitric oxide; and (4) pretreatment with an L-type calcium channel agonist, Bay K 8644 (0.5 micromol/L), also significantly inhibited the genistein-induced relaxation in both endothelium-intact and endothelium-denuded rings. The results suggest that the genistein-induced vascular relaxation of these rabbit arteries is partially endothelium-dependent and involves calcium antagonistic mechanism.
Animals ; Calcium Channels, L-Type ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Endothelium, Vascular ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Femoral Artery ; drug effects ; physiology ; Genistein ; pharmacology ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Rabbits ; Vasodilation ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Quyu Xiaoban Capsule (QYXB) on the regressive treatment of atherosclerosis (AS) with acoustic densitometry (AD) technique.

METHODSEighty patients with AS were randomly divided into two groups, trial group was treated with QYXB and conventional medicine, and control group was treated with conventional medicine alone. Normal arterial wall and different types of atherosclerotic plaques were detected with AD technique before treatment and 10 months later.

RESULTSThe corrected averages in intimal echo intensity (AIIc%) were elevated in both groups but without significant difference, AIIc% of fatty plaques were increased in both groups and the value after treatment was significantly higher than that of pre-treatment in the trial group (68.12 +/- 5.54 vs 61.43 +/- 5.37, P < 0.05). The increment rate of AIIc% in trial group was significantly higher than that in control group (10.9 +/- 5.1% vs 2.5 +/- 5.5%, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONQYXB can stabilize the atherosclerotic plaque by increasing its acoustic density. Acoustic densitometry technique can differentiate the different histological plaques and monitor the histological changes of plaques during treatment.

Adult ; Aged ; Arteries ; diagnostic imaging ; drug effects ; Atherosclerosis ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; Capsules ; Carotid Stenosis ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; Densitometry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Femoral Artery ; drug effects ; ultrastructure ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of Tongxinluo capsule (TXL) on the atherosclerosis obliterans (ASO) in iliofemoral artery of rabbits.

METHODRabbits were randomly divided into 7 groups: sham, model, TXL (0.8, 0.4, 0.2 g x kg(-1)), Tongsaimai tablet (0.8 g x kg(-1)) and Laishike (0.002 g x kg(-1)). The animal model of ASO was established with a combined method of mechanical trauma, immunologic injury and high fat fodder feeding. Rabbits were administrated the drugs 8 weeks after surgery. The levels of TC, TG, HDL-C and LDL-C in serum were determined at the time points below: pre-experiment (0 week), pre-drug administration (8 weeks post-surgery), 4 weeks after drug administration (12 weeks post-surgery), 8 weeks after drug administration (16 weeks post-surgery), 12 weeks after drug administration (20 weeks post-surgery). Meanwhile, the behavioral study was performed, the distal skin temperature of the injured hind limb detected. The histopathological changes in iliofemoral artery were examined after opacification.

RESULTThe levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, VLDL-C and TC/HDL-C were decreased significantly in serum of ASO rabbits. The severity of lameness in the injured hind limb was improved. The distal skin temperature was increased. The thickness and the ratio of intima area of the iliofemoral artery of the injured hind limb were decreased, while the stenosis extent was improved.

CONCLUSIONTXL might be beneficial to modulate blood lipid, as well as the prevention and treatment for ASO.

Animals ; Arteriosclerosis Obliterans ; blood ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Arthropods ; chemistry ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Capsules ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Femoral Artery ; drug effects ; pathology ; Iliac Artery ; drug effects ; pathology ; Male ; Materia Medica ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Triglycerides ; blood ; Tunica Intima ; drug effects ; pathology

No abstract available.
Aged ; Cardiovascular Agents/*administration & dosage ; Drug-Eluting Stents/*adverse effects ; *Femoral Artery/radiography/ultrasonography ; Foreign-Body Migration/diagnosis/*etiology ; Humans ; Male ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/*adverse effects/instrumentation ; Prosthesis Design ; Sirolimus/*administration & dosage ; Ultrasonography, Interventional

OBJECTIVEThe study was conducted to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of fibrinolytic therapy for femoral artery thrombosis after left cardiac catheterization in children.

METHODSThrombolytic therapy with urokinase was applied in 16 children (5 males) with femoral artery thrombosis after left cardiac catheterization. Patients were given a bolus injection of heparin, 100 U/kg. 30,000-100,000 U boluses of urokinase were injected intravenously, and then a continuous infusion of 10,000-50,000 U/h was started. Transcatheter thrombolysis was performed once previous procedures failed.

RESULTSAll 16 patients presented lower limbs ischemia after left cardiac catheterizations. The age was (2.6 +/- 1.9) years, the height was (85.3 +/- 13.1) cm, the weight was (11.2 +/- 3.8) kg. Patients with cyanotic and acyanotic congenital heart disease were 2 and 14, respectively. Interventional therapy was performed in 12 patients. Absent arterial pulsations were found in 15 patients and reduced arterial pulsation in 1 patient. Femoral arterial perfusion became normal in all patients (3 after transcatheter thrombolysis, 11 post intravenous thrombolysis and 2 post intravenous heparin). The average doses of heparin and urokinase were (950 +/- 682) U and (295,357 +/- 198,770) U. The average duration of therapy was (7.25 +/- 5.31) h. Mild residual stenosis were found in 2 patients post various treatments.

CONCLUSIONFibrinolytic therapy with urokinase is a safe and useful modality for children with femoral artery thrombosis after left cardiac catheterization.

Cardiac Catheterization ; adverse effects ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Femoral Artery ; Fibrinolytic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Heparin ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Postoperative Complications ; drug therapy ; Thrombolytic Therapy ; Thrombosis ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator ; therapeutic use

The corporeal blood gas changes in accordance with the duration of the prolonged erection which developed after intracorporeal pharmacotherapy with papaverine and phentolamine were investigated in 62 impotence patients. The picture of the corporeal blood taken from 15 psychogenic impotence patients (a control group) at 10 minutes after intracavernous injection when they showed full erections was arterial but there was pCO2 rise and pH drop compared to femoral artery blood taken simultaneously. As the erection lasted longer, significant gas changes of the cavernous blood began to appear (p<0.0001): increase in pCO2 and decrease in pO2 from 4 hours, decrease in pH from 5 hours, decrease in O2 saturation from 6 hours. Erections lasting for more than 16 hours showed significantly worse hypoxia (p<0.05). Therefore, to prevent hypoxia and metabolic acidosis, drug-induced prolonged erection would be better decompressed before it lasts for more than 4 hours.
Adult ; Carbon Dioxide/*blood ; Erectile Dysfunction/*blood/drug therapy ; Femoral Artery ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oxygen/*blood ; Papaverine/administration & dosage/therapeutic use ; Penile Erection/*drug effects ; Phentolamine/administration & dosage/therapeutic use ; Time Factors