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Nitric oxide (NO) mediates a major portion of arteriolar endothelium-dependent dilation in adults, but indirect evidence has suggested that NO contributes minimally to these responses in the young. Isolated segments of arterioles were studied in vitro to verify this age-related increase in NO release and investigate the mechanism by which it occurs. Directly measured NO release induced by ACh or the Ca2+ ionophore A-23187 was five- to sixfold higher in gracilis muscle arterioles from 42- to 46-day-old (juvenile) rats than in those from 25- to 28-day-old (weanling) rats. There were no differences between groups in arteriolar endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) expression or tetrahydrobiopterin levels, and arteriolar l-arginine levels were lower in juvenile vessels than in weanling vessels (104 ± 6 vs.126 ± 3 pmol/mg). In contrast, agonist-induced eNOS Thr495 dephosphorylation and eNOS Ser1177 phosphorylation (events required for maximal activity) were up to 30% and 65% greater, respectively, in juvenile vessels. Juvenile vessels did not show increased expression of enzymes that mediate these events [protein phosphatases 1 and 2A and PKA and PKB (Akt)] or heat shock protein 90, which facilitates Ser1177 phosphorylation. However, agonist-induced colocalization of heat shock protein 90 with eNOS was 34–66% greater in juvenile vessels than in weanling vessels, and abolition of this difference with geldanamycin also abolished the difference in Ser1177 phosphorylation between groups. These findings suggest that growth-related increases in arteriolar NO bioavailability may be due at least partially to changes in the regulation of eNOS phosphorylation and increased signaling activity, with no change in the abundance of eNOS signaling proteins.

We hypothesize that A2Aadenosine receptors (A2AAR) promote aortic relaxation in mice through cytochrome P450 (CYP)-epoxygenases and help to avoid salt sensitivity. Aortas from male mice maintained on a high-salt (HS; 7% NaCl) or normal-salt (NS; 0.45% NaCl) diet for 4–5 wks were used. Concentration-response curves (10−11–10−5M) for 5′- N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA; a nonselective adenosine analog) and CGS 21680 (A2AAR agonist) were obtained with different antagonists including ZM 241385 (A2AAR antagonist; 10−6M), SCH 58261 (A2AAR antagonist; 10−6M), Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME; endothelial nitric oxide synthase inhibitor; 10−4M) and inhibitors including methylsulfonyl-propargyloxyphenylhexanamide (MS-PPOH; CYP epoxygenases inhibitor; 10−5M), 14,15-epoxyeicosa-5(z)-enoic acid (14,15-EEZE; EET antagonist; 10−5M), dibromo-dodecenyl-methylsulfimide (DDMS; CYP4A inhibitor; 10−5M), and HET0016 (20-HETE inhibitor; 10−5M). At 10−7M of NECA, significant relaxation in HS (+22.58 ± 3.12%) was observed compared with contraction in NS (−10.62 ± 6.27%, P < 0.05). ZM 241385 changed the NECA response to contraction ( P < 0.05) in HS. At 10−7M of CGS 21680, significant relaxation in HS (+32.04 ± 3.08%) was observed compared with NS (+10.45 ± 1.34%, P < 0.05). SCH 58261, l-NAME, MS-PPOH, and 14,15-EEZE changed the CGS 21680-induced relaxation to contraction ( P < 0.05) in HS. Interestingly, DDMS and HET0016 changed CGS 21680 response to relaxation ( P < 0.05) in NS; however, there was no significant difference found between DDMS, HET0016-treated HS and NS vs. nontreated HS group ( P > 0.05). CYP2C29 protein was 55% and 74% upregulated in HS vs. NS ( P < 0.05) mice aorta and kidney, respectively. CYP4A protein was 30.30% and 35.70% upregulated in NS vs. HS ( P < 0.05) mice aorta and kidneys, respectively. A1AR was downregulated, whereas A2AAR was upregulated in HS compared with NS. These data suggest that HS may activate CYP2C29 via A2AAR, causing relaxation, whereas NS may contribute to the upregulation of CYP4A causing contraction.