Effects of short-term hyperglycemia on the vasoconstriction of the aorta

Background/aim: To investigate vasoconstrictor responses of healthy blood vessels to short-term hyperglycemic conditions such as postprandial hyperglycemia, gestational diabetes mellitus, and steroid-induced diabetes. Materials and methods: Female Wistar rat aorta rings were incubated in normal (11 mM) and high (22 mM and 44 mM) glucose concentrations for 4 h. Responses of vasoconstriction were measured in reaction to serotonin (10-5 M), phenylephrine (10-6 M), and KCl (60 mM) compared to the ambient condition, including different glucose concentrations. Results: While the responses of vasoconstriction to KCl were increased in the presence of Krebs' solution with high glucose, no statistically significant changes were observed in the reaction to serotonin and phenylephrine. In addition, malondialdehyde levels were increased in hyperglycemic conditions. Conclusion: Short-term hyperglycemia may lead to augmented contractile response in aorta rings through several mechanisms, and our results showed that oxidative stress is probably one of them.