Impairment of endothelium-dependent ACh-induced relaxation in aorta of diabetic db/db mice -: possible dysfunction of receptor and/or receptor-G protein coupling

Diabetes is a risk factor of ischemic heart disease, cerebral ischemia, and atherosclerosis, in which endothelial dysfunction plays a role in the pathogenesis. We examined vascular responses in the aorta of pre-diabetic db/db mice with normoglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and hyperinsulinemia (6 weeks old), and diabetic db/db mice with hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and hyperinsulinemia (11 weeks old) in comparison with age-matched non-diabetic db/+ mice. Prostaglandin F-2 alpha (PGF(2 alpha))-induced contraction was significantly enhanced in the aorta of diabetic but not pre-diabetic db/db mice compared to age-matched non-diabetic db/+ mice. Acetylcholine (ACh), adenosine-5'-diphosphate (ADP), NaF, a G protein activator and A-23187, a Ca-ionophore, caused endothelium-dependent and nitric oxide (NO)-mediated relaxation, and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), an NO donor, caused endothelium-independent relaxation in the pre-contracted aorta of db/db mice. Maximal endothelium-dependent ACh-induced relaxation was reduced in diabetic but not pre-diabetic db/db mice compared to age-matched db/+ mice, while maximal SNP-induced relaxation was not different between diabetic and non-diabetic mice. ACh-induced relaxation in diabetic db/db mice was not affected by ozagrel, a thromboxane A(2) (TXA(2)) synthetase inhibitor, or acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, suggesting no involvement of endogenous TXA(2) or prostanoids in the reduction of relaxation. Maximal endothelium-dependent ADP-, A-23187-, and NaF-induced relaxation was not reduced in diabetic db/db mice. EC50 values for ACh- and SNP-induced relaxation were increased in diabetic but not pre-diabetic db/db mice, suggesting decreases in sensitivity to NO in diabetic mice. Two-week treatment with KV-5070, a PPAR gamma agonist, lowered plasma glucose, triglyceride (TG), and insulin but not cholesterol, and reversed the reduced ACh-induced relaxation. In conclusion, ACh-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation is impaired in diabetic db/db mice, probably due to the dysfunction of ACh receptors and/or receptor-G protein coupling. Endothelial dysfunction was not genetic and was considered to be initiated primarily by hyperglycemia, and was improved by anti-diabetic treatment with a PPAR gamma agonist.