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Nicotine Impairs eNOS‐Dependent Responses of the Basilar Artery
Author(s) -
Mayhan William G,
Arrick Denise M,
Sun Hong
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.1151.27
Subject(s) - apocynin , enos , nicotine , basilar artery , superoxide , nadph oxidase , vasodilation , medicine , chemistry , anesthesia , endocrinology , pharmacology , nitric oxide , oxidative stress , biochemistry , nitric oxide synthase , enzyme
Our goals were to determine whether acute exposure to nicotine alters eNOS‐dependent responses of the basilar artery and to identify a potential role for activation of NAD(P)H oxidase. We measured diameter of the basilar artery to eNOS‐dependent (acetylcholine) and ‐independent (nitroglycerin) agonists before and during acute infusion of nicotine in the absence or presence of apocynin. In addition, we measure superoxide production by brain tissue to nicotine. We found that eNOS‐dependent vasodilatation was impaired during treatment with nicotine and that apocynin prevented this impairment. Further, the production of superoxide was increased by nicotine and this increase could be inhibited by apocynin. We suggest that nicotine impairs eNOS‐dependent dilatation of the basilar artery by activation of NAD(P)H oxidase.