FIG. 7.

The protective effect of paroxetine in ex vivo vessels and in vivo. A: Rat thoracic aortic rings were exposed to 30 mmol/L hyperglycemia (high) for 48 h or incubated in culture medium containing 5 mmol/L glucose (low) and were treated with paroxetine (PRX; 10 μmol/L) or vehicle. Endothelium-mediated relaxation to acetylcholine (Ach) was measured at the indicated concentrations of acetylcholine and expressed as percent of precontraction. B: Paroxetine treatment of streptozotocin-diabetic rats failed to affect hyperglycemia or body weight loss. C: Rat thoracic aortic rings prepared from streptozotocin-diabetic (STZ) or control nondiabetic (CTL) rats treated with vehicle or paroxetine (PRX; 10 mg/kg per day). Endothelium-mediated relaxation to acetylcholine was measured at the indicated concentrations of acetylcholine and expressed as percent of precontraction. #P < 0.05 hyperglycemia/diabetes compared with normoglycemic samples (low); *P < 0.05 paroxetine treatment compared with hyperglycemia/diabetes.