Figure 5.

Effect of anandamide and HU 210 on smooth muscle membrane potential and the generation of EDHF from porcine coronary arteries. (A) Comparison of the effects on anandamide and ‘authentic EDHF' on the membrane potential of cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells. Original tracings (left panel) and statistical summary (right panel) illustrating the hyperpolarization of rat aortic smooth muscle cells induced by either the direct application of solvent (0.06% ethanol), anandamide (30 μM) or the luminal perfusate removed from bradykinin-stimulated porcine coronary artery segments in the continuous presence of N^Gnitro-L-arginine (100 μM) and diclofenac (10 μM). Results are expressed as the mean±s.e.mean of four separate experiments. (B) Effect of HU 210 and miconazole on the generation of EDHF by bradykinin-stimulated porcine coronary arteries. The membrane potential of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells superfused with the effluate from bradykinin-stimulated porcine coronary arteries was monitored (open columns). Experiments were performed in the absence (0.06% ethanol) and presence of HU 210 (30 μM) and miconazole (3 μM) added to the perfusate either proximal or distal to the donor segment (incubation time 15 min). Results are presented as the mean±s.e.mean of six separate experiments, ^**P<0.01 vs control and §P<0.05 vs response when the substance was applied distal to the donor artery.