title: Are endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing and contracting factors isoprostanes?
abstract: The endothelium releases many vasoactive substances, including prostacyclin, nitric oxide and endothelin, in addition to several other factors about which little is known. The latter are referred to as 'endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factors' (EDHFs) and 'endothelium-derived contracting factors' (EDCFs). Although there is much debate about the identities of EDHFs and EDCFs, a prevailing hypothesis is that they are cyclooxygenase-independent metabolites of arachidonic acid and many researchers associate them with free radicals. These properties are shared with isoprostanes. In this article, I compare the properties of EDHFs and EDCFs with those of the isoprostanes and propose novel experiments that might identify isoprostanes as candidate molecules for EDHFs and EDCFs.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Medicine, McMaster University, 50 Charlton Avenue East, Ontario, L8N 4A6., Hamilton, Canada. janssenl@mcmaster.ca
authors.forename: Luke J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Janssen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016232:Endothelins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D028421:Isoprostanes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D016232:Endothelins; D028421:Isoprostanes; D009569:Nitric Oxide