Elevated guanylate cyclase and cyclic-guanosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase levels in nasal mucosae of antigen-challenged rats

Objective: In patients with severe allergic rhinitis, the most serious symptom is rhinostenosis, which is considered to be induced by a dilatation of plexus cavernosum. The vascular relaxing responses to chemical mediators are mainly mediated by the production of nitric oxide (NO). However, the exact mechanism(s) in nasal venoresponsiveness of allergic rhinitis is not fully understood. In the present study, we investigated the roles of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) and cyclic-guanosine monophosphate (c-GMP)-dependent protein kinase G (PKG) in venodilatation of nasal mucosae of antigen-challenged rats. Methods: Actively sensitized rats were repeatedly challenged with aerosolized antigen (2,4-dinitrophenylated Ascaris suum). Twenty-four hours after the final antigen challenge, nasal septum mucosa was exposed surgically and observed directly in vivo under a stereoscopic microscope. The sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and 8-Br-cGMP (a PKG activator) were administered into arterial injection, and the venous diameters of nasal mucosa were observed. Results: The intra-arterial injections of SNP and 8-Br-cGMP-induced venodilatation were significantly augmented in the nasal mucosae of repeatedly antigen-challenged rats. Furthermore, protein expressions of sGC and PKG were significantly increased in nasal mucosae of the antigen-challenged rats. Conclusion: The present findings suggest the idea that the promoted cGMP/PKG pathway may be involved in the enhanced NO-induced venodilatation in nasal mucosae of antigen-challenged rats. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.