Low-salt diet increases NO bioavailability and COX-2 vasoconstrictor prostanoid production in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Aims: The ability of dietary sodium restriction to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular mortality and improve vascular function in hypertension still remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to observe the effects of a long period of salt restriction on the vascular reactivity of mesenteric resistance arteries of SHRs.

Methods: Male SHRs received either standard-salt diet (0.

Low-dose ouabain administration increases Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase activity and reduces cardiac force development in rats.

Background: Ouabain is a digitalis compound that inhibits the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase (NKA) activity inducing increment in cardiac force. However, this effect seems to be dose dependent. At low concentration, ouabain can induce an increase of NKA activity.