Cd. Fike et Mr. Kaplowitz, Nifedipine inhibits pulmonary hypertension but does not prevent decreased lung eNOS in hypoxic newborn pigs, AM J P-LUNG, 21(3), 1999, pp. L449-L456
Citations number
22
Categorie Soggetti
da verificare
Journal title
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LUNG CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR PHYSIOLOGY
Therapies to prevent the onset or progression of pulmonary hypertension in
newborns have received little study compared with those in adult models. We
wanted to determine whether nifedipine treatment prevents the increased pu
lmonary vascular resistance, blunted pulmonary vascular responses to acetyl
choline, and reduced lung endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) amounts
that we have found in a newborn model of chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary
hypertension. Studies were performed with 1- to 3-day-old piglets raised in
room air (contral) or 10% O-2 (hypoxia) for 10-12 days. Some piglets from
each group were given nifedipine (3-5 mg/kg sublingually three times a day)
. Pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary wedge pressure, and cardiac output
were measured in anesthetized animals. Pulmonary vascular responses to ace
tylcholine and eNOS amounts were assessed in excised lungs. The calculated
value of the pulmonary vascular resistance for nifedipine-treated hypoxic p
iglets (0.09 +/- 0.01 cmH(2)O.ml(-1).min.kg) was almost one-half of the val
ue for untreated hypoxic piglets (0.16 +/- 0.01 cmH(2)O.ml(-1).min.kg) and
did not differ from the value for untreated control piglets (0.05 +/- 0.01
cmH(2)O.ml(-1).min.kg). Pulmonary arterial pressure responses to acetylchol
ine and whole lung homogenate eNOS amounts were less for both nifedipine-tr
eated and untreated hypoxic piglets than for untreated control piglets. Nif
edipine treatment attenuated pulmonary hypertension in chronically hypoxic
newborn piglets despite the persistence of blunted responses to acetylcholi
ne and reduced lung eNOS amounts.