Effects of chronic administration of the novel endothelin antagonist J-104132 on endothelial dysfunction in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat

1. The biosynthesis of endothelin-1 is increased in the diabetic state. So this peptide may cause diabetic vascular complications. We tested this possibility by chronically administering J-104132, a potent orally active mixed antagonist of endothelin A and B (ET(A)/ET(B)) receptors to streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats and focusing on changes in endothelial function. 2. The acetylcholine (ACh)-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation was impaired in diabetic rats and this impairment was significantly attenuated following chronic administration of J-104132 (10 mg kg(-1), p.o., daily for 4 weeks). 3. In an in vitro experiment using aortae from diabetic rats, the ACh-induced relaxation was not changed by the presence of J-104132 (3 x 10(-9) M). 4. The expression levels of the mRNA for endothelial nitric oxide synthase was comparable among aortae from the three groups (control, diabetic and chronically J-104132-treated diabetic). 5. The amount of superoxide anion was significantly greater in aortae from diabetic rats than in controls. Chronic J-104132 treatment significantly decreased the level of superoxide anion in diabetic rats. 6. The expression of the p22phox mRNA for the NADH/NADPH Oxidase subunit was significantly increased in STZ-induced diabetic rats and this increase was completely prevented by chronic administration of J-104132. 7. These results suggest that in STZ-induced diabetic rats, ET-1 may be directly involved in impairing endothelium-dependent relaxation via increased superoxide-anion production.