title: Endothelin-3-induced microvascular incompetence and mitochondrial damage in rat myocardium.
abstract: 1. To determine the possible role of an endothelin in the development of postischaemic microvascular incompetence, isolated buffer-perfused rat hearts were perfused with endothelin-3 (ET-3) in phosphate buffer. 2. ET-3 produced a reduction in coronary flow rate, heart rate and arrhythmia. There was a marked reduction in the density of competent capillaries, and the myocytes showed vacuolation and mitochondrial damage in regions where microvascular incompetence was most severe. 3. These results indicate that ET-3 can substantially reduce microvascular perfusion in the heart and can also cause damage to the myocyte.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Auckland School of Medicine, New Zealand.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maxwell
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pratt
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gavin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000139:chemically induced; D002196:Capillaries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D016232:Endothelins / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D008929:Mitochondria, Heart / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY
chemical_list: D016232:Endothelins