Endotoxin stimulates endothelin-release in vivo and in vitro as determined by radioimmunoassay.
A marked increase in immunoreactive endothelin was observed in rat serum collected within 10-15 min after infusion of endotoxin. Endothelin level was 117 +/- 11.5 pg/ml (mean +/- S.E., N = 4) in rats exposed to endotoxin as compared with undetectable levels (less than 2 pg/ml, N = 4) in controls. We have also observed a significant stimulation of endothelin-release by endotoxin from cultured bovine transformed thoractic aortic endothelial cells at concentrations of endotoxin ranging between 0.1 and 10.0 micrograms/ml. Serum was indispensable for the stimulating effect of endotoxin, although serum itself did not show any effect at the concentration used (1%). These results suggest that endothelin plays an important role in mediation of pathophysiological responses caused by endotoxin. The levels of endothelin were measured by radioimmunoassay with high sensitivity.
Sugiura
M
M
Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232.
Inagami
T
T
Kon
V
V
D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016232:Endothelins; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D016232:Endothelins; D004731:Endotoxins; D010455:Peptides