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Luteolin, a flavone present in many foods and medicinal plants, may have beneficial effects on various human chronic diseases. In the present study, we investigated the hypothesis that luteolin can directly act on vascular endothelial cells (ECs), leading to nitric oxide (NO) production and subsequent vascular relaxation. Rat aortic rings were mounted in organ bath. Luteolin was added cumulatively, and vessel relaxation of rat aortic rings precontracted with phenylephrine (PE) or potassium was recorded. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) phosphorylation at Ser1177 and NO production from aortic rings and primary human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) exposed to luteolin were measured by using Western blot and fluorometric assay, respectively. Luteolin dose-dependently (10–100 μmol/L) elicited relaxation of PE- or potassium-contracted aortic rings. The vasorelaxation effect of luteolin was attenuated by the eNOS inhibitor, N-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester, suggesting that this luteolin action is at least partially mediated by activating eNOS activity. We further found that luteolin dose-dependently (10–100 μmol/L) increased eNOS phosphorylation at Ser1177 (up to 1.9-fold) in isolated rat rings. Consistently, exposure of HAECs to luteolin also increased eNOS phosphorylation and NO production. Luteolin may be a vascular protective agent by directly acting on vascular ECs to stimulate NO-dependent vascular dilatation.

The effect of aging on cardiac membrane currents remains unclear. This study examined the inward rectifier K+ current ( I K1), the transient outward K+current ( I to), and the L-type Ca2+ channel current ( I Ca,L) in ventricular myocytes isolated from young adult (6 mo) and aged (>27 mo) Fischer 344 rats using whole cell patch-clamp techniques. Along with an increase in the cell size and membrane capacitance, aged myocytes had the same magnitude of peak I K1 with a greater slope conductance but displayed smaller steady-state I K1. Aged myocytes also had a greater I to with an increased rate of activation, but the I to inactivation kinetics, steady-state inactivation, and responsiveness to l-phenylephrine, an α1-adrenergic agonist, were unaltered. The magnitude of peak I Ca,L in aged myocytes was decreased and accompanied by a slower inactivation, but the I Ca,L steady-state inactivation was unaltered. Action potential duration in aged myocytes was prolonged only at 90% of full repolarization (APD90) when compared with the action potential duration of young adult myocytes. Aged myocytes from Long-Evans rats showed similar changes in I toand I Ca,L but an increased I K1. These results demonstrate aging-associated changes in action potential, in morphology, and in I K1, I to, and I Ca,L of rat ventricular myocytes that possibly contribute to the decreased cardiac function of aged hearts.