NAD(P)H oxidase inhibiting with apocynin improved vascular reactivity in tail-suspended hindlimb unweighting rat

Recent studies suggested that reactive oxygen species derived from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAD(P)H) oxidase is of functional importance in modulating vascular tone, and we have previously detected excessive superoxide production in tail-suspended hindlimb unweighting (HU) rat cerebral and carotid arteries. HU rat was a widely used model to simulate physiological effects on the vasculature. The present study tended to investigate whether NAD(P)H oxidase inhibition with apocynin influences vasoconstriction, endothelium-dependent relaxation, and nitrite/nitrate (NOx) content in HU rat cerebral and carotid arteries. Vascular contractile and dilate responses were assessed in a myograph organ bath. NOx content in cerebral and carotid arteries was measured. We found enhanced maximal contractile response and impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation in HU rat basilar (P < 0.01) and common carotid artery (P < 0.05); however, chronic treatment of apocynin (50 mg/kg/day) partially reversed abnormal vascular response. Furthermore, 21-day HU increased arterial NOx content (P < 0.01) in cerebral and carotid arteries compared with control rats; however, apocynin treatment restored it toward near-normal values. These data demonstrated that NAD(P)H oxidase-derived oxidative stress mediated abnormal vasoreactivity though nitric oxide mechanism in the settings of simulated microgravity.