Myocardial NOS activity and connexin-43 expression in untreated and omega-3 fatty acids-treated spontaneously hypertensive and hereditary hypertriglyceridemic rats.

The purpose of this study is to investigate myocardial nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and connexin-43 (Cx43) expression in young and old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), adult hereditary hypertriglyceridemic (HTG) rats, and age-matched healthy rats without and with omega-3 PUFA supplementation for 2 months. Results showed that comparing to healthy rats the myocardial NOS activity was significantly increased in young SHR (8.2 ± 1.16 vs. 1.37 ± 0.67 pmol/min/mg) as well as old SHR (3.21 ± 0.75 vs. 2.22 ± 0.56 pmol/min/mg) and to much lesser extent in HTG rats, i.e., 1.87 ± 0.42 vs. 1.34 ± 0.1 pmol/min/mg. In parallel, there was a significant decline of total and phosphorylated forms of Cx43 in both groups of SHR while not in HTG rat hearts in which phosphorylated form of Cx43 was increased. Elevated NOS activity was suppressed (P < 0.05) in young and old SHR supplemented with omega-3 PUFA and it was associated with up-regulation of Cx43. In contrast to SHR, elevation of NOS activity in HTG rat hearts was not affected by treatment with omega-3 PUFA. However, increase of phosphorylated form of Cx43 was suppressed. In conclusion, there is an inverse relationship between myocardial NOS activity and Cx43 expression in SHR while not HTG rat hearts and omega-3 PUFA modulate both NOS activity and Cx43 expression. Whether over-expression of inducible NOS might account for down-regulation of myocardial Cx43 and whether its up-regulation is associated with an increase of endothelial NOS should be explored in further study.