Intracellular free Ca2+ and vasoconstriction determined simultaneously in the perfused rat tail artery.

To measure, simultaneously, intracellular free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) and vasoconstriction in a perfused vessel, we used the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator fura 2 with a dual-wavelength excitation method. One-centimeter-long segments of the caudal artery were dissected from 12-mo-old male Wistar rats. The endothelium was removed by gentle rubbing.

Involvement of the renin-angiotensin system in ischemic damage and reperfusion arrhythmias in the isolated perfused rat heart.

We have investigated the contribution of the renin-angiotensin system to the damage caused by 40-min global ischemia in the isolated rat heart. A converting enzyme inhibitor, enalaprilat (70 nM), an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, compound 89 (2 microM), and an inhibitor of rat renin, CGP 44099A (20 nM), given before ischemia reduced the median duration of ventricular fibrillation on reperfusion to a similar extent (5.53, 5.