SOLUBLE GUANYLYL CYCLASE ACTIVATION RESCUES HYPEROXIA-INDUCED DYSFUNCTION OF VASCULAR RELAXATION.

Introduction: Perioperative alterations in perfusion lead to ischemia and reperfusion injury, and supplemental oxygen is administered during surgery to limit hypoxic injury but can lead to hyperoxia. We hypothesized that hyperoxia impairs endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilation but not the vasodilatory response to heme-independent soluble guanylyl cyclase activation. Methods: We measured the effect of oxygen on vascular reactivity in mouse aortas. Mice were ventilated with 21% (normoxia), 60% (moderate hyperoxia), or 100% (severe hyperoxia) oxygen during 30 minutes of renal ischemia and 30 minutes of reperfusion. After sacrifice, the thoracic aorta was isolated, and segments mounted on a wire myograph. We measured endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilation with escalating concentrations of acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), respectively, and we measured the response to heme-independent soluble guanylyl cyclase activation with cinaciguat. Vasodilator responses to each agonist were quantified as the maximal theoretical response ( Emax ) and the effective concentration to elicit 50% relaxation (EC 50 ) using a sigmoid model and nonlinear mixed-effects regression. Aortic superoxide was measured with dihydroethidium probe and high-performance liquid chromatography quantification of the specific superoxide product 2-hydroxyethidium. Results: Hyperoxia impaired endothelium-dependent (ACh) and endothelium-independent (SNP) vasodilation compared with normoxia and had no effect on cinaciguat-induced vasodilation. The median ACh Emax was 76.4% (95% confidence interval = 69.6 to 83.3) in the normoxia group, 53.5% (46.7 to 60.3) in the moderate hyperoxia group, and 53.1% (46.3 to 60.0) in the severe hyperoxia group ( P < 0.001, effect across groups), while the ACh EC 50 was not different among groups. The SNP Emax was 133.1% (122.9 to 143.3) in normoxia, 128.3% (118.1 to 138.6) in moderate hyperoxia, and 114.8% (104.6 to 125.0) in severe hyperoxia ( P < 0.001, effect across groups), and the SNP EC 50 was 0.38 log M greater in moderate hyperoxia than in normoxia (95% confidence interval = 0.18 to 0.58, P < 0.001). Cinaciguat Emax and EC 50 were not different among oxygen treatment groups (median range Emax = 78.0% to 79.4% and EC 50 = -18.0 to -18.2 log M across oxygen groups). Aorta 2-hydroxyethidium was 1419 pmol/mg of protein (25th-75th percentile = 1178-1513) in normoxia, 1993 (1831-2473) in moderate hyperoxia, and 2078 (1936-2922) in severe hyperoxia ( P = 0.008, effect across groups). Conclusions: Hyperoxia, compared with normoxia, impaired endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilation but not the response to heme-independent soluble guanylyl cyclase activation, and hyperoxia increased vascular superoxide production. Results from this study could have important implications for patients receiving high concentrations of oxygen and at risk for ischemia reperfusion-mediated organ injury.