title: Cerebral vasospasm and vasoconstriction caused by endothelin.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Fukui Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kabuto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Handa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ide
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D016232:Endothelins