Figure 2.

Assessment of contractile function in rings of isolated aorta following iNOS, eNOS and COX inhibition. Graphs showing vasoconstriction concentration–response curves to 5-HT in aortic tissues from control animals and those with mild inflammatory arthritis, the latter in the absence or presence of the iNOS inhibitor 1400W, the eNOS inhibitor L-NAME or the non-selective COX inhibitor indomethacin (INDO). The impaired responses to 5-HT were still evident in the presence of the various inhibitors suggesting that excess NO, H₂O₂ and vasodilatory prostanoids do not mediate this contractile dysfunction. ***P < 0.001 significantly different from control, n≥ 3 for all groups.