FIG. 5.
Experimental coronary artery pharmacology in male rats. Segments of the coronary artery (LAD) were isolated from male rats 24 h following intratracheal (IT) or intravenous (IV) delivery of C60 or vehicle. (A) Cumulative concentration-response curves for serotonin (5-HT) revealed a trend for sensitized vascular smooth muscle contraction in coronary arteries from IT C60 exposed rats, which were not seen following IV delivery of C60. (B) Cumulative concentration-response curves for 5-HT in coronary artery smooth muscle of LAD segments isolated from IV exposed rats. (C) Cumulative concentration-response curves for ACh showed no changes following IT exposure. (D) The IV C60 ACh curve was rightward shifted compared with the vehicle curve. (E) Cumulative concentration-response curves for SNP were similar between vehicle and C60 groups following IT exposure and IV exposure. (F) Cumulative SNP concentration-response curves from LAD isolated from IV exposed rats. †p < 0.05 by regression analysis of best-fit curve values. Reported p-values for ΔEC50 were determined by t-test, N = 4–5.