title: Effects of (+) and (-)-propranolol on the responses of the human isolated basilar artery to cerebrospinal fluid obtained from patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage and cerebral arterial spasm.
abstract: 1. The human isolated basilar artery has been used as a model to investigate the aetiology of cerebral arterial spasm associated with rupture of intracranial aneurysms. 2. The isolated artery is contracted by 5-hydroxytryptamine, noradrenaline, six prostaglandins and cerebrospinal fluid from patients with ruptured aneurysms and cerebral arterial spasm. 3. These contractions are reversed by (+/-)--, (+)-- and (--)-propranolol in concentrations known to produce local anaesthetic effects on isolated frog sciatic nerve; the (+) isomer was 2.5 to 10 times more potent (-)-propranolol in antagonising all contractions. 4. As the two isomers are known to have similar local anaesthetic potency but (-)-propranolol has greater beta-adrenoreceptor blocking effects we conclude that the antagonistic effects described do not involve beta-adrenoreceptor blockade. 5. The data indicate that propranolol may be of clinical use in reversing cerebral arterial spasm.
mesh_terms: D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000187:drug effects*; D002539:Cerebral Arterial Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D011433:Propranolol