Renin-Angiotensin Aldosterone System and Fibrinolysis Interaction in Humans-Specific Aim 3

Graded doses of bradykinin (Clinalfa AG, Läufelfingen, Switzerland) will be infused at 50, 100, and 200ng/min. Each dose will be infused for 5 minutes and FBF will measured during the last 2 minutes of infusion. Arterial and venous blood samples will be obtained for measurement of net t-PA release after each dose.

Thirty minutes after administration of bradykinin a continuous intra-arterial infusion of L-NMMA at 12 micromol/min will be started started. While continuing the infusion of L-NMMA, baseline measurements and infusion of bradykinin will be repeated.

Following the second bradykinin infusion, 12 subjects will receive 5mg isosorbide dinitrate (an exogenous NO donor; Major Pharmaceuticals Inc, Livonia MI). Sixty minutes after the administration of isosorbide the continuous intra-arterial infusion of L-NMMA at 12 micromol/min will be restarted and baseline measurements and bradykinin infusion will be repeated.

Following the second bradykinin infusion, 12 subjects will receive 50mg sildenafil (phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor to increase cGMP without increasing NO; Pfizer, NY). Sixty minutes after the administration of sildenafil the continuous intra-arterial infusion of L-NMMA at 12 micromol/min will be restarted and baseline measurements and bradykinin infusion will be repeated.