title: Increased plasma endothelin-1 concentration in patients with acute cerebral infarction and actions of endothelin-1 on pial arterioles of rat.
abstract: In acute cerebral ischemia there are severe damages of endothelium which have been recognized as the stimuli to secrete endothelin-1, an endothelium-derived peptide and the most potent vasoconstrictor ever known. This study was to measure plasma endothelin-1 level in patients with cerebral infarction and explore the relationship between endothelin-1 and ischemic stroke. The possible involvement of endothelin-1 in local regulation of cerebral arterioles was also investigated. Plasma levels of endothelin-1 were measured by radioimmunoassay in 21 patients. Using a micro-video system, the endothelin-1 actions were also observed on rat pial arterioles in vivo, and with incomplete cerebral ischemia model (rat), effect of ischemia affects the endothelin-1 action. There was a marked increase in plasma endothelin-1 level in the patients and the elevation persisted during the acute and subacute period of stroke. There was a positive correlation between the peptide concentration and infarct size (r = 0.655, P < 0.01). In rats, endothelin-1 (dose range: 10(-10) mole/L-10(-7) mole/L) induced a dose-dependent arteriole contraction after subdural administration. Arteriole calibers were decreased by 27.7% +/- 3.8% (10(-9) mole/L), 46.8% +/- 4.9% (10(-8) mole/L) and 78.5% +/- 4.7% (10(-7) mole/L), respectively. Cerebral ischemia significantly enhanced the action of endothelin-1 (96.4% +/- 7.2% vs 58.2% +/- 6.8%). Endothelin-1 plays an important role in regulating local circulation of ischemic brain. The notable and lasting increase in plasma level of endothelin-1 are associated with cerebral ischemia and infarction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Beijing.
authors.forename: G Z
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.forename: H X
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Ai
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Lui
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001160:Arterioles / Q000502:physiology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000097:blood*; D016232:Endothelins / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008578:Meninges / Q000098:blood supply*; D008875:Middle Aged; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D016232:Endothelins