Propofol Increases Vascular Relaxation in Aging Rats Chronically Treated with the Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor Captopril

BACKGROUND: Both propofol use and advanced age are predictors of intraoperative hypotension. We previously demonstrated that propofol enhances vasodilation in mesenteric arteries from aged rats, partly due to increased nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. Patients chronically treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors may exhibit refractory hypotension under general anesthesia. We hypothesized that propofol enhances NO-mediated...