Superoxide Released to High Intra-arteriolar Pressure Reduces Nitric Oxide–Mediated Shear Stress– and Agonist-Induced Dilations

—It is thought that elevated levels of reactive oxygen metabolites contribute to the dysfunction of vascular endothelium in hypertension. We hypothesized that high intravascular pressure itself elicits production of superoxide, which then interferes with nitric oxide (NO)–mediated responses of arterioles. Thus, isolated arterioles (≈80 μm in diameter) from gracilis muscle of normotensive Wistar rats were cannulated and exposed to 140 mm Hg perfusion pressure for 30 minutes (in the absence of perfusate flow). After high intravascular pressure treatment, dilations to increases in perfusate flow (0 to 30 μL/min) were significantly reduced (from 39±2.2 to 19±2.1 μm at 30 μL/min), eliciting an increase in wall shear stress from ≈20 to ≈60 dyne/cm2 . Nω -nitro-l -arginine (10−4 mol/L) did not affect, whereas indomethacin eliminated, flow-induced dilations after pressure treatment. In control, substance P (SP, 10−9 to 5×10−8 mol/L), sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 10−8 to 10−6 mol/L), and adenosine (ADO, 10−6 to 5×10−5 mol/L) elicited dilations (SP: 31.5±1.9 μm, SNP: 45.6±4 μm, and ADO: 37.2±4.1 μm, at maximum concentrations, respectively). After pressure treatment, maximum dilations to SP and SNP were significantly reduced (by 49% and 39%, respectively), whereas responses to ADO were not affected. Presence of superoxide dismutase (120 U/mL) and catalase (80 U/mL), but not catalase alone, in the perfusate solution prevented the reduction in dilation of arterioles to flow and agonists after pressure treatment by restoring NO mediation. We conclude that high intravascular pressure per se elicits the release of superoxide, which then interferes with NO, a mechanism that contributes to the elevation of wall shear stress and peripheral resistance in hypertension.