Cerebral vasospasm and vasoconstriction caused by endothelin.
We investigated the histological changes between arteries constricted by endothelin for 7 days and vasospastic arteries induced by the double injection of autologous blood. Group 1 was a sham-operated group. Group 2 animals received a continuous cisternal injection of endothelin-1 (1.7 x 10(-9) mol/7 days) by a miniosmotic pump implanted in the neck musculature for 7 days. Group 3 received double injections of cisternal blood administered 48 hours apart. Angiography showed severe constriction of the basilar artery, 34.6% and 43% in Groups 2 and 3, respectively, on Day 7. Histological study showed marked constriction of the basilar artery in both Group 2 and Group 3. Degenerative changes in endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells were observed in both Group 2 and Group 3. Immunohistochemical study demonstrated endothelin-1 in the endothelial cells in Group 2, but not in Group 1 or in Group 3. It is suggested that endothelin-1 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of cerebral vasospasm.
Kobayashi
H
H
Department of Neurosurgery, Fukui Medical School, Japan.
Hayashi
M
M
Kobayashi
S
S
Kabuto
M
M
Handa
Y
Y
Kawano
H
H
Ide
H
H
D000818:Animals; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000187:drug effects; D004285:Dogs; D016232:Endothelins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects*
D016232:Endothelins