Response of canine cerebral arteries to endothelin-1

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Abstract
The effects of endothelin-1 (10−10-10−7 M) were isometrically recorded in 4 mm cylindrical segments from the middle cerebral artery of dogs. Cumulative application of endothelin-1 produced marked, sustained contraction of arteries in a concentration-dependent-manner, the maximal response being about 2.6 times higher than that achieved with KCl (50 mM). The contraction by endothelin-1 was unaffected either by endothelium removal or by the cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors indomethacin (10−6 M) and meclofenamate (10−6 M). In a Ca2+ -low (25 μM) solution the endothelin-1-induced arterial contraction was decreased. Therefore, the cerebral vasoconstriction induced by endothelin-1 could be caused by activation of specific receptors located on smooth muscle cells which would lead to the influx of extracellular calcium and vascular musculature contraction.