Losartan counteracts the hyper-reactivity to angiotensin II and ROCK1 over-activation in aortas isolated from streptozotocin-injected diabetic rats.

Background: In streptozotocin-injected rats (STZ-rats), we previously demonstrated a role for angiotensin II (AT-II) in cardiac remodelling and insulin resistance partially counteracted by in vivo treatment with losartan, an AT-II receptor antagonist.We now aimed to investigate the effect of treating diabetic STZ-rats with losartan on diabetes vascular response to vasoconstrictors.

Methods: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided in four groups, two of them were assigned to receive losartan in the drinking water (20 mg/kg/day) until the experiment ending (3 weeks afterward).

Influence of resting tension on protease-activated receptor-mediated relaxation in guinea-pig tracheas.

We investigate the role of resting tension on thrombin (THR) induced relaxation of guinea-pig tracheas precontracted with acetylcholine (ACh). Isometric contractions of isolated guinea-pig tracheas were recorded at 4 and 6 g resting tension; and ACh dose-response curves were performed. THR relaxed ACh-precontracted tracheas and this effect was mimicked by the type 2 protease activating receptor agonist peptide (PAR-2 AP) and trypsin.

Pirenoxine prevents oxidative effects of argon fluoride excimer laser irradiation in rabbit corneas: biochemical, histological and cytofluorimetric evaluations.

The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) associated with excimer laser irradiation is recognized as a possible cause of corneal haze following photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Our work was aimed at investigating in vitro the oxidative effects induced by subablative laser fluences and at demonstrating the protective effectiveness of pirenoxine. Comparative trials of subablative fluence on rabbit eyes with or without 10(-5) M pirenoxine were carried out.

Antioxidant protection in cultured corneal cells and whole corneas submitted to UV-B exposure.

Several corneal pathologies are characterized by the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS); therefore, we evaluated the protection afforded by pirenoxine and melatonin to corneal cell culture and whole rabbit cornea from ultraviolet exposure and other oxidant systems. Rabbit cornea cell (SIRC) plates and whole corneas were exposed to UV-B (80 or 800 mJ/cm2) or incubated with fMLP-stimulated autologous macrophages, in the presence or absence of pirenoxine or melatonin (10(-5) M). The protective activity of compounds was assessed by measuring superoxide anion formation, inhibition of oxidation and mitochondrial viability.