Vascular relaxation and cyclic guanosine monophosphate in a rat model of high output heart failure

Objective: Low output heart failure induces abnormalities of endothelium dependent vasodilatation, but the mechanisms responsible for this remain unclear. As blood flow can alter endothelial cell function, in particular nitric oxide (NO) release, the activity of endothelium derived relaxing factor (EDRF) was investigated in a rat model of high output heart failure. Methods: The thoracic aorta upstream of an aorto-caval fistula in rats was submitted to hormonal changes (similar to those in heart failure) and to high blood flow (opposite to that found in low output heart failure). Functional and biochemical arterial properties were studied in aorto-caval fistula rats and in sham operated rats three months after operation. The vascular responses were studied by exposing aortic segments from fistula and sham operated rats to increasing concentrations of agonists. Aortic cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) concentration was assessed as an index of NO synthase activity. The effect of NO synthase blockade on functional and biochemical arterial properties was also studied. Results: Plasma atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) was increased in fistula rats compared to sham operated rats. The concentrations of acetylcholine or the calcium ionophore A23187 required to produce 10% and 50% maximum relaxation (EC, and EC50) were similar in the two groups. Relaxation in response to low concentrations of Sin-1 (an NO donor) was shifted rightwards in fistula rats and EC10 was greater than in the controls. The aortic cGMP concentration was higher in aorto-caval fistula rats than in sham operated rats (p=0.008). The differences between aorto-caval fistula rats and sham operated rats were probably the result of increased basal EDRF-NO release in the former, since NO synthase blockade abolished the differences in both aortic cGMP and the dose-response curve to Sin-1. Conclusions: The arterial wall upstream of a chronic aorto-caval fistula has increased cGMP content and hyposensitivity to Sin-1, which may be due to enhanced basal EDRF-NO release. These changes, strikingly different from those found in the low output heart failure, suggest that haemodynamic rather than neuroendocrine factors play a determinant role in the altered vasodilator response in heart failure. Cardiovascular Research 1993; 27 :1651-1656