Figure 1.

Blockade of Panx-1 channels enhances the NO-mediated vasodilation activated by ACh. (a) Time course of the vasodilation induced by 100 nM ACh in KCl-contracted arterial mesenteric beds in control conditions and in the presence (15 min) of 1 mM probenecid alone or in addition to the treatment for 45 min with 100 μM N^G-nitro-L-arginine (L-NA), a blocker of NO production. Probenecid was applied during the last 15 min of the treatment with L-NA. The horizontal bar indicates the period of stimulation. (b, c) Representative Western blots and densitometric analysis of eNOS (b) and Akt (c) expression as well as the phosphorylation of eNOS at serine 1177 (P-eNOS^S1177, (b)) and Akt at serine 473 (P-Akt^S473, (c)) observed in basal conditions (control) and after the treatment with 1 mM probenecid (Pb) or 60 μM ¹⁰Panx. In the densitometric analysis, the changes in eNOS and Akt phosphorylation are expressed as the ratio of phosphorylated protein over total protein. Values are means ± SEM. ^∗P < 0.05 vs. the control by one-way ANOVA plus the Newman-Keuls post hoc test.