title: Endothelin-3 is a potent pulmonary vasodilator in the rat.
abstract: The properties of endothelin-3 (ET-3) were investigated in isolated pulmonary artery rings and isolated blood-perfused lungs of the rat. ET-3 elicited a concentration-dependent relaxation of pulmonary artery rings, and effect inhibited by the nitric oxide synthesis inhibitor L-NG-monomethyl-L-arginine. At 0.1 microM, the response to ET-3 was biphasic, resulting in a sustained contraction. In the isolated lung, ET-3 caused a dose-dependent increase in pulmonary arterial pressure. In lungs ventilated with 3% oxygen, 10 nM ET-3 completely reversed the resultant hypoxic vasoconstriction (HPV) by 100 +/- 8%, an effect unchanged by either indomethacin (1 microM) or glibenclamide (10 microM). L-NG-monomethyl-L-arginine attenuated both the ET-3 dilation in prostaglandin F2 alpha-constricted lungs and the dose-dependent vasodilation of HPV by acetylcholine. ET-3 (10 nM) showed the response time to peak pulmonary arterial pressure generation by hypoxia, the size of the response being unchanged. These results demonstrate that ET-3 has both vasodilator and constrictor actions in the rat lung and that, like acetylcholine, the former is mediated in part via the release of nitric oxide. ET-3 also has the ability to modulate HPV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Crawley
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D016232:Endothelins / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000503:physiopathology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D010477:Perfusion; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine
chemical_list: D016232:Endothelins; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine; D001120:Arginine