Biol Reprod
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

BOR - Papers in Press, published online ahead of print July 30, 2004.
Biol Reprod 2004, 10.1095/biolreprod.104.031369
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (Rapid PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
71/5/1739    most recent
biolreprod.104.031369v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Author home page(s):
P. R.R. Gangula
P. Lanlua
S. J. Wimalawansa
C. Yallampalli
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Gangula, P. R.R.
Right arrow Articles by Yallampalli, C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Gangula, P. R.R.
Right arrow Articles by Yallampalli, C.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Gangula, P. R.R.
Right arrow Articles by Yallampalli, C.
Submitted April 26, 2004
Returned for revision June 2, 2004
Accepted July 9, 2004

Pregnancy


Mesenteric Arterial Relaxation to Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Is Increased During Pregnancy and by Sex Steroid Hormones

P. R.R. Gangula , P. Lanlua , R. D. Bukoski , S. J. Wimalawansa , and C. Yallampalli *

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: chyallam{at}utmb.edu.

Abstract
The aim of the present study is to investigate whether pregnancy and circulatory ovarian hormones will increase the sensitivity of the mesenteric artery to CGRP-induced relaxation and possible mechanisms involved in this process. Mesenteric arteries from young adult male rats or female rats either during estrous cycle, after ovariectomy at day 20 of gestation or postpartum day 2 were isolated and responsiveness of the vessels to CGRP was examined with a small vessel myograph. CGRP (10- 10 to 10-7 M) produced a concentration dependent relaxation of norepinephrine-induced contractions in mesenteric arteries of all the groups. Arterial relaxation sensitivity to CGRP was significantly (p<0.05) greater in female rats compared with male rats. Pregnancy increased the sensitivity to CGRP significantly (p<0.05) compared to ovariectomized and postpartum day 2 rats. In pregnant rats, CGRP receptor antagonist, CGRP8-37, inhibited the relaxation responses produced by CGRP. The CGRP-induced relaxation was not affected by NG-nitro-L- arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (nitric oxide-inhibitor, 10-4 M), but was significantly (p<0.05) attenuated by an inhibitor of guanylate cyclase (ODQ, 10-5 M). Relaxation responses of CGRP on mesenteric arteries were blocked (p<0.05) by cAMP- dependent protein kinase A inhibitor, Rp-cAMPs (10- 5 M). CGRP-induced vasorelaxation was significantly (p<0.05) attenuated by calcium-dependent (tetraethylammonium, 10-3 M), but not ATP- sensitive (glybenclamide, 10-5 M) potassium channel blocker. Therefore, the present study suggests that mesenteric vascular sensitivity to CGRP is higher during pregnancy and cAMP, cGMP, calcium-dependent potassium channels appeared to be involved. Therefore, we propose that CGRP-mediated vasodilation may be important to maintain vascular adaptations during pregnancy.

Key words: Pregnancy • Steroid hormones


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Reproductive SciencesHome page
A. M. Aukes, N. Bishop, J. Godfrey, and M. J. Cipolla
The Influence of Pregnancy and Gender on Perivascular Innervation of Rat Posterior Cerebral Arteries
Reproductive Sciences, April 1, 2008; 15(4): 411 - 419.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 EndocrinologyHome page
M. Chauhan, G. R. Ross, U. Yallampalli, and C. Yallampalli
Adrenomedullin-2, a Novel Calcitonin/Calcitonin-Gene-Related Peptide Family Peptide, Relaxes Rat Mesenteric Artery: Influence of Pregnancy
Endocrinology, April 1, 2007; 148(4): 1727 - 1735.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 EndocrinologyHome page
G. R. Ross, M. Chauhan, P. R. Gangula, L. Reed, C. Thota, and C. Yallampalli
Female Sex Steroids Increase Adrenomedullin-Induced Vasodilation by Increasing the Expression of Adrenomedullin2 Receptor Components in Rat Mesenteric Artery
Endocrinology, January 1, 2006; 147(1): 389 - 396.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
Copyright © 2004 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction.