Figure 5.

Concentration–response curves to ACh in the absence (A, control) or presence of L‐NAME (C, NOS inhibitor) and aortic sensitivity to ACh (B). Concentration–response curves to SNP (D) in endothelium‐intact aorta of rats treated with placebo, 48 h or 72 h of continuous i.v. infusion of serelaxin. (E) Basal NOS activity in endothelium‐intact aorta of rats treated with placebo, 48 or 72 h of continuous i.v. infusion of serelaxin. In each group of experiments, aortae were pre‐contracted with phenylephrine to a similar level (~20% of KPSS contraction) before the addition of L‐NAME (200 μmol·L⁻¹). n = 5–7 per group. * P < 0.05; significantly different from placebo; one‐way anova, Tukey's post hoc test.