title: Roles of calcium and the endothelium in the relaxations produced by 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA).
abstract: The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the endothelium dependency in the relaxations by the adenosine analog, 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA), and the requirement for extracellular calcium in endothelium-dependent and independent relaxations. In prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha)-contracted bovine coronary arteries with intact endothelium, bradykinin produced relaxations in calcium medium but not in calcium-free medium. Removal of the endothelium abolished the relaxing response to bradykinin. In calcium medium, NECA produced similar relaxations in coronary arteries with intact and mechanically disrupted endothelium. The relaxation-response curves for NECA were shifted to the right in parallel in calcium free medium. Sodium nitroprusside produced concentration-dependent relaxations which were endothelium-independent. Removal of calcium from the bathing medium caused partial but significant attenuation of these relaxations. The results indicated that in bovine coronary artery, relaxations induced by NECA were endothelium-independent. Also bradykinin-induced relaxations are totally dependent on calcium whereas the endothelium-independent relaxing agents such as NECA and sodium nitroprusside require calcium only partially for their relaxations.
authors: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858-4354.
authors: M H
authors: MH
authors: Sabouni
authors: M V
authors: MV
authors: Ramagopal
authors: S J
authors: SJ
authors: Mustafa
mesh_terms: D000241:Adenosine / Q000494:pharmacology; D019830:Adenosine-5'-(N-ethylcarboxamide); D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D002417:Cattle; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000494:pharmacology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D009599:Nitroprusside; D019830:Adenosine-5'-(N-ethylcarboxamide); D015237:Dinoprost; D000241:Adenosine; D002118:Calcium