Anders Öhlén

Neuropeptide Y: presence in perivascular noradrenergic neurons and vasoconstrictor effects on skeletal muscle blood vessels in experimental animals and man

The presence of neuropeptide Y (NPY)-like immunoreactivity (-LI) in sympathetic perivascular nerves and the functional effects of NPY and noradrenaline (NA) on vascular tone were studied in skeletal muscle of various species. A dense network of NPY-LI was found around arteries and arterioles but not venules in the gluteus maximus muscle of man, gracilis muscle of dog, tenuissimus muscle of rabbit and quadriceps muscle of cat, rat, guinea pig and pig. The distribution of NPY-immunoreactive (-IR) nerves was closely correlated to the presence of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH)-positive fibers, two markers for noradrenergic neurons. Double-staining experiments revealed that NPY- and TH-IR as well as NPY- and DBH-IR nerve fibers around arteries and arterioles were identical. The veins and venules, however, lacked or had a very sparse innervation of NPY-, TH- and DBH-positive fibers. The NPY- and TH-IR nerves in quadriceps muscle of the guinea pig were absent after treatment with 6-hydroxydopamine. Lumbosacral sympathetic ganglia from the same species contained many NPY-positive cells which were also TH- and DBH-IR. NPY-LI was also detected by radioimmunoassay in extracts of skeletal muscle from guinea pig, rabbit, dog, pig and man as well as of lumbosacral sympathetic ganglia. The content of NPY-LI in skeletal muscle was relatively low (0.1-0.4 pmol/g), whereas lumbosacral sympathetic ganglia had a much higher content (48-88 pmol/g). NPY (10(-7) M) contracted arterioles in the tenuissimus muscle of the rabbit to a similar extent (by 65%) as NA (10(-6) M), as studied by intravital microscopy in vivo. NPY had no effect on the corresponding venules while NA caused a slight contraction of these vessels. In vitro studies of small human skeletal muscle arteries and veins revealed that NPY was more potent than NA in contracting the arteries, and the highest concentration of NPY (5 x 10(-7) M) caused a contraction of a similar magnitude as NA 10(-5) M. NA contracted veins from human skeletal muscle, while NPY had only small effects. It is suggested that NPY, together with NA, could be of importance for sympathetic control of skeletal muscle blood flow.

Cholinergic neuromodulation by endothelin in guinea pig ileum

The effect of endothelin on cholinergic neuroeffector transmission in guinea pig ileum was investigated. Endothelin was shown to inhibit the nerve-induced contractions and concomitantly to increase the basal muscle tone. Furthermore, endothelin inhibited the nerve-induced release of [3H]acetylcholine whereas the contractile response to exogenous acetylcholine was enhanced. In conclusion, our findings suggest that endothelin is a modulator of cholinergic neuroeffector transmission in guinea pig ileum with possible action via both inhibitory prejunctional and stimulatory postjunctional mechanisms.

Adrenergic neuromodulation by endothelin in guinea pig pulmonary artery.

Endothelin was tested for possible interactions with the noradrenergic neuroeffector transmission in guinea pig pulmonary artery. Endothelin concentration-dependently enhanced nerve-induced contractile responses and concomitantly increased basal tone. Furthermore, endothelin inhibited the stimulation-evoked release of [3H]noradrenaline and enhanced the contractile response to exogenously applied noradrenaline. These results suggest that endothelin, in addition to its direct contractile effect, may function as a modulator of adrenergic neuroeffector transmission in the guinea pig pulmonary artery via both stimulatory post- and inhibitory prejunctional mechanisms.

Substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide: immunohistochemical localisation and microvascular effects in rabbit skeletal muscle.

Summary1. The distribution and microvascular effects of substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) were studied in the rabbit tenuissimus muscle using immunohistochemistry and intravital microscopy. 2. Individual fibers within nerve bundles and along blood vessels in the muscle were found to be immunoreactive (IR) for both SP and CGRP, thus showing an apparently complete coexistence for these peptides. In dorsal root ganglia most SP-positive cells were also CGRP-IR, but the latter cells were somewhat more numerous than SP-IR cells. 3. When applied topically to the muscle, both SP and CGRP increased blood flow in a dose-dependent manner, but CGRP was more potent and caused responses of longer duration. Both SP and CGRP dilated transverse arterioles, but they had little or no effect on the smaller terminal arterioles. This resulted in a redistribution of blood flow to the connective tissue adjacent to the muscle. 4. SP, but not CGRP, elicited vigorous vasomotion in larger arterioles and caused the formation of aggregates of platelets and leukocytes in the venules. Neither flow increase, nor vasomotion or aggregate formation were influenced by pretreatment of the animals with mepyramine, cimetidine or indomethacin. Capsaicin (1 μM) had a powerful effect on transverse arterioles resembling that of both SP and CGRP. 5. It is concluded that some of the vascular effects hitherto ascribed to SP on the basis of nerve stimulation and application of capsaicin might, at least in part, be due to release of CGRP.

Endothelin modulation of neuroeffector transmission in rat and guinea pig vas deferens

The effects of endothelin-1 (human, porcine) on contractions induced by transmural nerve stimulation, exogenous ATP or noradrenaline, and on the release of [3H]noradrenaline were studied in guinea pig and rat vas deferens. Endothelin enhanced nerve-induced contractile responses, increased basal muscle tone and increased the contractile response to exogenous ATP in both guinea pig and rat vas deferens. Endothelin did not affect the contractile responses to exogenous noradrenaline. The calcium channel blocker felodipine antagonized the stimulating effects of endothelin in the rat vas deferens, whereas blockade of lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase pathways by a combination of BW 755C and indomethacin was without effect. In rat vas deferens preparations preincubated with [3H]noradrenaline, endothelin inhibited the 3H overflow induced by transmural stimulation, although the contractile responses were enhanced by endothelin. Pretreatment with forskolin or felodipine did not abolish the endothelin inhibition of radiotracer overflow. In conclusion, endothelin can modulate adrenergic and purinergic neuroeffector transmission in both guinea pig and rat vas deferens via inhibitory prejunctional and stimulant postjunctional mechanisms. The stimulant postjunctional effect seemed to predominate in our experiments.

Endothelin modulation of neuroeffector transmission in smooth muscle.

In a series of muscle preparations, the peptides endothelin-1 (ET-1) and endothelin-3 (ET-3) were investigated for effects on basal muscle tone, responses to transmural nerve stimulation, and release of [3H]norepinephrine or [3H]acetylcholine. ET-1 and ET-3 contracted rat vas deferens and guinea pig ileum, ET-1 being the most potent. In the guinea pig taenia coli, ET-1 induced a relaxation whereas ET-3 was almost without relaxing effect. In the rat vas deferens, ET-1 and ET-3 enhanced contractile responses to nerve stimulation, whereas the nerve-induced release of [3H]norepinephrine was inhibited by ET-1 but not by ET-3. Contractions to exogenous ATP were increased by ET-1 whereas contractions to norepinephrine were not. In the guinea pig ileum, nerve-induced contractions were inhibited by ET-1 and ET-3 as was acetylcholine release, whereas contractions to exogenous acetylcholine were enhanced by ET-1. The inhibition of nerve-induced contractions by the endothelins was not affected by treatment with 8-(p-sulfophenyl)theophylline, BW755C, or indomethacin. The relaxation by ET-1 in the guinea pig taenia coli was not affected by treatment with NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, BW755C, or indomethacin. In conclusion, ET-1 exerted a stimulatory postjunctional effect and concomitantly an inhibitory prejunctional effect on adrenergic and cholinergic neurotransmission. Also, ET-3 exerted a stimulatory postjunctional effect, whereas a prejunctional inhibitory effect of ET-3 only was evident on cholinergic neurotransmission. Blockade of the production of nitric oxide or arachidonic acid metabolites or application of an adenosine antagonist did not alter the effects of ET-1 or ET-3.

Role of adenosine in functional hyperemia in skeletal muscle as indicated by pharmacological tools

SummaryThe hypothesis that adenosine mediates blood flow increments in contracting skeletal muscle was evaluated by intravital microscopy of the microcirculation in the tenuissimus muscle of anesthetized rabbits. Motor nerve stimulation elicited muscle contractions and frequency-dependent arteriolar dilatation, particularly in terminal arterioles. The pulse duration (0.05 ms) and voltage (1.5–5 V) precluded activation of vasoconstrictor fibers, as also indicated by the lack of effect of phentolamine on resting vascular tone and on the hyperemic response to nerve stimulation. The specific adenosine receptor antagonist, 1,3-dipropyl-8-p-sulfophenylxanthine (DPSPX; 10−5 M), attenuated the hyperemic response to muscle contractions. The adenosine uptake inhibitor dipyridamole (10−8−10−6 M) dose-dependently dilated microvessels, an effect prevented by DPSPX (10−5 M). Moreover, dipyridamole (10−7 M) augmented contraction-induced hyperemia. The enhancement by dipyridamole was reversed by DPSPX (10−5 M). The effects of adenosine uptake inhibitor and antagonist were invariably more marked in terminal than in transverse arterioles, and also more pronounced at higher stimulation frequencies. Motor nerve stimulation failed to induce alterations in vascular diameters when the neuromuscular junction was blocked by pancuronium. Thus, our observations indicate that functional hyperemia after motor nerve-induced contractions of the skeletal muscle was of postjunctional origin. Apparently, activation of adenosine receptors was responsible for a part of the evoked vasodilation.

Substance P activates leukocytes and platelets in rabbit microvessels

The effect of substance P on leukocytes and platelets in rabbit skeletal muscle microvasculature was studied by intravital microscopy and electron microscopy. Local application of substance P caused vasodilatation and formation of aggregates of platelets and leukocytes in postcapillary venules with subsequent migration of leukocytes through the vessel wall. Many neutrophils were partially degranulated. Aggregate formation induced by substance P could not be prevented by autacoid antagonists. However, superfusion with calcitonin gene-related peptide prior to challenge with substance P greatly inhibited aggregate formation and leukocyte extravasation.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide desensitizes skeletal muscle arterioles to substance P in vivo.

Calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP) was tested for possible interactions with the effects of substance P on rabbit skeletal muscle arterioles in vivo. Both CGRP and substance P dose‐dependently increased arteriolar diameter. However, pretreatment with CGRP made the arterioles insensitive to substance P, and also prevented the formation of aggregates of leukocytes and platelets normally seen after substance P. These results suggest that CGRP, in addition to its direct effects, may act as a modulator of the effects of substance P in neurogenic inflammation.

Substance P and NPY innervation of microvessels in the rabbit tenuissimus muscle

The distribution of substance P (SP)- and neuropeptide Y (NPY)-immunoreactive (IR) nerve fibers in the rabbit tenuissimus muscle was investigated by means of immunohistochemistry. Electron microscopy was used to study the ultrastructural appearance of nerve fibers and terminals. SP-IR nerve fibers were sparse in the main feeding vessels to the muscle and in the central artery and vein, but moderately dense in the motor nerve and in nerve bundles running in the vicinity of the vessels. Occasionally, fibers were seen in apposition to arterioles and venules in the muscle. NPY-IR nerves formed a dense network of a typically adrenergic appearance encircling the feeding artery, central artery, and arterioles of all sizes. NPY-IR nerves were not seen around venules or veins. In the motor nerve, NPY immunoreactivity could be seen after ligation. Electron microscopy showed nerve terminals containing both small vesicles and large dense core vesicles outside the media of arterioles and, more seldom, of venules. Also, unmyelinated fibers followed myelinated nerve bundles along arterioles. The fact that there are a great many SP- and NPY-immunoreactive fibers in the tenuissimus muscle, with a distribution that harmonizes with their pharmacological actions, supports the view that local release of these neuropeptides contributes significantly to microvascular regulation in skeletal muscle.