Lack of cross-tolerance between nitroglycerin and endothelium-derived relaxing factor-mediated vasoactive agents in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine whether cross-tolerance develops between nitroglycerin and endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF)-mediated vasoactive agents in vivo. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were made tolerant by pretreatment with high doses of nitroglycerin (100 mg/kg s.c., 3 times/day, for 3 consecutive days). The hypotensive effect of challenge doses of nitroglycerin (1, 10, 300, 100 μg/kg i.v.) was completely abolished in nitroglycerin-pretreated SHR. To evaluate cross-tolerance, the effects of the following EDRF-dependent vasoactive agents on blood pressure were determined in groups of nitroglycerin-pretreated and vehicle-pretreated SHR: acetylcholine, bradykinin and L-arginine. In addition, the hypotensive effects of zaprinast (M&B 22,928), a cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) phosphodiesterase inhibitor, and the hypertensive effects of the nitric oxide-synthase inhibitor N ω -nitro-L-arginine were also evaluated. In all cases, there was no difference in the effects of these agents on blood pressure when compared in nitroglycerin-pretreated (tolerant) and vehicle-pretreated (non-tolerant) SHR. The use of a variety of agents which modulate EDRF release or its effects by several different mechanisms suggests that cross-tolerance does not occur between nitroglycerin and EDRF in vivo.