title: Vascular effects of propofol: smooth muscle relaxation in isolated veins and arteries.
abstract: Isolated hepatic portal veins and aorta taken from the rat were used to investigate the direct action of the intravenous anaesthetic propofol. This compound is known to produce a fall in blood pressure in man and animals and it has been suggested that the hypotension may result from a direct vasodilator action on the veins and arterioles. In our experiments propofol caused a dose related decrease of potassium-induced tone in both types of blood vessel. However, the concentrations required to produce this effect in the experiments on veins were significantly lower than those required to produce similar changes in the isolated artery preparation. We conclude that this direct action may contribute towards the hypotensive effects of propofol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, University of Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Bentley
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gent
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Goodchild
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects; D001158:Arteries / Q000187:drug effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects*; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000187:drug effects; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D015742:Propofol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014680:Veins / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D011189:Potassium Chloride; D015742:Propofol