Figure 1

Maximal contractile responses to phenylephrine and endothelin-1 in control Wistar and spontaneously hypertensive rats. Comparison of contractile responses of endothelium-denuded (−) and –intact (+) thoracic aortic and pulmonary artery rings to phenylephrine (1 μmol/L) (A) and endothelin-1 (10 nmol/L) (B). Thoracic aortic and pulmonary artery segments are collected in control Wistar rats (white bars; n = 7-13) and in spontaneously hypertensive rats (black bars; n = 10-15). Contractile responses are expressed as the percentage of the maximal contractile response to 80 mmol/L KCl. Results are expressed as means ± SEM. ** 0.001 < p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001 compared to the corresponding endothelium-intact (+) artery; $ 0.01 < p < 0.05, $$$ p < 0.001 compared to the corresponding artery from the control group; ♯ 0.01 < p < 0.05, ♯♯♯ p < 0.001 compared to the thoracic artery in the same strain of rats.