Figure 3.

Inhibition of LPS-induced hypovasocontractility and aortic iNOS protein. Rat aortic rings with endothelium were stimulated with LPS (10 μg ml⁻¹) in the presence or absence of β-lapachone (β-LP, 1 and 3 μM) for 4 h. Effects of β-LP on contractions evoked by phenylephrine (a) or inducible and constitutive (endothelial and neuronal) NOS forms (b) in LPS (10 μg ml⁻¹)-treated rings were shown. In Western blot analysis, the cellular lysates as positive controls (C(+)) were from LPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells (iNOS), human endothelial cells (eNOS) and rat pituitary cells (nNOS) and α-tubulin served as control for sample loading and integrity. Data are presented as means±s.e.mean of 3–5 separate experiments in (a) and are typical of three separate experiments in (b).