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. 1992 Jul;106(3):733–738. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1992.tb14402.x

Responses to endothelins in the rat cutaneous microvasculature: a modulatory role of locally-produced nitric oxide.

E Lawrence 1, S D Brain 1
PMCID: PMC1907578  PMID: 1504757

Abstract

1. The response of the cutaneous microvasculature to intradermal injection of the endothelins (ET-1, ET-2 and ET-3) and the modulatory effect of endogenously produced nitric oxide (NO) have been determined in the rat. 2. Intradermal injection of endothelins (0.1- 10 pmol/site) induced dose-dependent local reductions in blood flow, measured by 133xenon clearance, with the following potency order; ET-1 = ET-2 greater than ET-3. 3. Laser Doppler blood flowmetry established that ET-1 (10 pmol/site) significantly (P less than 0.05) reduced microvascular blood flow for 3 h after injection. Over a wide dose-range, the response to the endothelins did not include any vasodilatation or visible flare. 4. A possible modulatory role of locally-produced NO was investigated by the intradermal injection of the potent inhibitor of NO generation NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). L-NAME (100 nmol/site) injected alone induced a significant decrease in blood flow. The vasoconstriction induced by L-NAME was partially reversed by L-arginine (P less than 0.05) but not observed with NG-nitro-D-arginine methyl ester (D-NAME). 5. L-NAME significantly (P less than 0.05) enhanced the decrease in blood flow induced by submaximal doses of ET-1, ET-2 and ET-3 and vasopressin, although the results do not suggest that any of the vasoconstrictors stimulate NO release. The response to L-NAME was still observed 3.5 h after inducing a prolonged constriction with ET-1 (10 pmol/site).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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Selected References

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