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Noboru Toda

Publications and source records attributed to Noboru Toda.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Endothelial and neuronal functions in cerebral and temporal arteries from monkeys fed a high-cholesterol diet.

Modifications by hyperlipidemia of endothelium-dependent and -independent relaxations were evaluated in cerebral and temporal arteries from control and hyperlipidemic (high cholesterol-fed) monkeys. Histologically atherosclerotic lesions were not observed in either group. Relaxations induced by histamine, abolished by N(G)-nitro->L-arginine (>L-NA), were significantly potentiated in the hyperlipidemic monkey cerebral arteries, compared with those in the arteries from control monkeys. Treatment with superoxide dismutase did not affect the histamine-induced relaxation. Conversely, endothelium-dependent relaxations induced by A23187, Ca2+ ionophore, in cerebral arteries did not differ between control and hyperlipidemic monkeys. In temporal arteries, relaxations by acetylcholine and A23187 did not differ between control and hyperlipidemic monkeys. Endothelium-dependent and -independent relaxations by adenosine diphosphate in cerebral and temporal arteries were not affected by hyperlipidemia. Endothelium-independent relaxations by exogenously applied nitric oxide did not differ in the arteries from control and hyperlipidemic monkeys. Nicotine-induced relaxations in cerebral arteries, which were mediated with nitric oxide released from nitroxidergic (nitrergic) nerves, and the contractions caused by nicotine in temporal and mesenteric arteries treated with >L-NA did not differ between control and hyperlipidemic monkeys. It is concluded that long exposure to hyperlipidemia did not affect endothelial functions of monkey middle cerebral and temporal arteries but enhanced nitric oxide-mediated relaxations caused by histamine, possibly due to upregulation of endothelial histamine receptor-mediated functions in the cerebral arteries. The nitroxidergic (nitrergic) and adrenergic nerve functions do not seem to be affected by hyperlipidemia.

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[Nitroxidergic (nitrergic) nerve and erectile dysfunction].

In vascular tissues including the corpus cavernosum, the organ function is reciprocally regulated by noradrenergic and non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic (NANC) nerves. NANC nerves innervating the corpus cavernosum is thought to be nitroxidergic (nitrergic) nerves which liberate nitric oxide (NO) produced by neuronal NO synthase, and liberated NO activates soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) in cavernous smooth muscle cells. Intracellular increase in cyclic (c) GMP by activation of sGC dilates cavernous smooth muscle and then induces penile erection. Nitroxidergic (nitrergic) vasodilator nerves also innervate cavernous arteries and veins which regulate the blood volume in the corpus cavernosum. The order of potency of nitroxidergic nerve functions in these tissues (cavernosum > artery >> vein) may be suitable for producing the erection. Therefore, obstruction of the arteries and impairment of nitroxidergic (nitrergic) nerve function are speculated to be one of the causes for erectile dysfunction (ED). On the other hand, NO derived from the cavernous endothelium may partly contribute to erectile function. Sildenafil (Viagra) is one of the potent therapeutics for ED. The agent is a selective phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-V) inhibitor that inhibits degradation of cGMP elevated by NO mainly derived from the nerves. To develop more selective and safer therapeutics for ED, further systematic investigations are required.

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Neurogenic cerebral vasodilation mediated by nitric oxide.

In cerebral arteries isolated from most of mammals, nerve stimulation produces relaxations in contrast to contractions in peripheral arteries. The relaxant mechanism is found to be non-adrenergic and non-cholinergic, but the neurotransmitter is not clarified until recently. Based on several functional and histological studies with isolated cerebral arteries, nitric oxide (NO) is now considered to be a neurotransmitter of the vasodilator nerve and the nerve has been called a nitroxidergic (nitrergic) nerve. Upon neural excitation, calcium influxed through N-type Ca2+ channels activates neuronal NO synthase, and then NO is produced by the enzyme from L-arginine. The released NO activates soluble guanylate cyclase in smooth muscle cells, resulting in relaxation with a cyclic GMP-dependent mechanism. The functional role and neuronal pathway have also been investigated in anesthetized dogs and Japanese monkeys. The nitroxidergic (nitrergic) nerves innervating the circulus arteriosus, including the anterior and middle cerebral and posterior communicating arteries, are found to be postganglionic nerves originated from the ipsilateral pterygopalatine ganglion and tonically dilate cerebral arteries in the resting condition. Our findings suggest that the nitroxidergic (nitrergic) nerve plays a physiologically important role to maintain a steady blood supply to the brain.

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Functional study on nitroxidergic nerve in isolated dog pulmonary arteries and veins.

In dog pulmonary arterial and venous strips without endothelium under treatment with prazosin, nicotine induced relaxation that was abolished by N(G)-nitro-L-arginine, hexamethonium and methylene blue. L-Arginine antagonized the N(G)-nitro-L-arginine action. Neurogenic relaxations tended to be more evident in the vein. Nitric oxide (NO)-induced relaxations were greater in the veins than in the arteries. Concentrations of NO to induce the same magnitude of relaxation as that to nicotine were higher in the arteries. In conclusion, dog pulmonary arteries and veins are innervated by nitroxidergic (nitrergic) nerves, and NO is released by nerve stimulation with nicotine in a larger amount in the artery than the vein.

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