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Inhibition of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) has proved to be beneficial in the treatment of various cardiovascular disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate ACE inhibitory potential of two polyphenolic compounds with different structures: resveratrol (present in high quantities in French wine) and kaempferol (abundant in greens), using method of liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) for ex vivo measurement of angiotensin I to angiotensin II conversion by ACE in aortic tissue of Wistar-Kyoto rats. In this setting, kaempferol (10-30-100 microM), but not resveratrol (10-30-100 microM) appeared to inhibit dose-dependently conversion of Ang I to Ang II. Although the mechanism of ACE inhibition by kaempferol remains to be elucidated, this observation may help in search or designing of new classes of ACE inhibitors.

The metabolism of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is more complicated than previously expected and understanding the biological phenomena regulated by variety of angiotensin metabolites requires their precise and possibly comprehensive quantitation. Physiological concentrations of angiotensins (Ang) in biological fluids are low, therefore their accurate measurements require very sensitive and specific analytical methods. In this study we developed an accurate and reproducible method of quantitation of angiotensin metabolites through coupling of liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization - mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS). With this method main angiotensin metabolites (Ang I, II, III, IV, 1-9, 1-7, 1-5) can be reliably measured in organ bath of rat tissues (aorta, renal artery, periaortal adipose tissue) and in medium of cultured endothelial cells (EA.hy926), exposed to Ang I for 15 minutes, in the absence or in the presence of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, perindoprilat. Presented LC-ESI-MS method proved to be a quick and reliable solution to comprehensive analysis of angiotensin metabolism in biological samples.

Pharmacology at the Jagiellonian University was taught since the foundation of the University in 1364 under then used names of medical botany and pharmacognosy. The first in Poland Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy was created in 1857. Modern era in the history of pharmacology in Krakow starts in 1929 when Prof. Janusz Supniewski became the Head of the Department. He was the relentless researcher whose scientific interests were as diverse as ranging from anticancer chemotherapeutics, antibiotics, and oral hypoglycemic drugs to lipid-lowering agents. Skills of organic chemistry synthesis were of paramount importance for the scientific achievements. Prof. Supniewski died in 1964, leaving the Department well equipped in instruments. He raised in his laboratory many eminent scientists who later became heads of pharmacology departments throughout Poland. In 1964, the Head of the Department of Pharmacology became Prof. Ryszard Gryglewski. Under his leadership the Department focused scientific efforts on various aspects of cardiovascular pharmacology. Prof. Gryglewski established collaborations with many of the best pharmacology researchers in the world, including Sir John Vane, Nobel Prize laureate. Prof. Gryglewski's assistants had ample opportunity to train in these laboratories and to bring these skills back to Krakow. Prof. Gryglewski and his team published many articles in the most prestigious scientific journals. The most important themes included discovery of prostacyclin, role of nitric oxide and of free radicals for vascular biology. Since 2003, when Prof. Gryglewski retired, the Department of Pharmacology has been led by Prof. Ryszard Korbut.

Both nitric oxide and arachidonic acid metabolites have been implicated in pathogenesis of septic shock. We have recently described a model of endotoxin-induced acute lung injury in rats in which nitric oxide synthase is inhibited. The possible interplay between nitric oxide and eicosanoids (thromboxane A2, prostacyclin) in this model have been presently studied. Animals were randomly assigned to four experimental groups which received the following treatment. 1. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) infusion only, 2 mg.kg-1min-1 during 10 min (LPS group). 2. N omega-Nitro-L-Arginine 10 mg.kg-1 (L-NNA, nitric oxide synthase inhibitor) pretreatment followed by LPS infusion (L-NNA + LPS group). 3. L-NNA and camonagrel 25 mg.kg-1 (CAM, thromboxane synthase inhibitor) pretreatment followed by LPS infusion (L-NNA + CAM + LPS group). 4. L-NNA and iloprost 0.3 microgram.kg-1.min-1(ILO, stable analog of prostacyclin) pretreatment followed by LPS infusion (L-NNA + ILO + LPS group). LPS infusion resulted in a biphasic response in mean arterial blood pressure. A transient but deep fall in arterial blood pressure was followed by a long-lasting hypotension that led to death after 278 +/- 49 min. L-NNA + LPS rats died within 22 +/- 5 min among the symptoms of systemic hypotension and acute lung injury. In L-NNA + CAM + LPS group a significant attenuation of early phase of hypotension occurred and survival time was comparable with that of the LPS group (298 +/- 68 min). In rats of the L-NNA + ILO + LPS group survival time increased insignificantly to 48 +/- 41 min. It is concluded that immediate deleterious effects of lipopolysaccharide in NO-deficient rats are at least partially mediated by thromboxane A2 while prostacyclin cannot replace NO in its pneumoprotective action.