Production of endothelin by cultured human endothelial cells following exposure to nicotine or caffeine.

This study evaluated endothelin production by endothelial cells after exposure to nicotine or caffeine. Vasoconstrictive properties have been attributed to both nicotine and caffeine. The presence of endothelin, a potent vasoconstrictor itself, was determined using a radioimmunoassay. The optimal stimulatory doses for nicotine and caffeine were determined to be 1.0 micromol/L and 1.0 mmol/L, respectively. When endothelin production was evaluated over time after exposure to the optimal dose of each agent, it was determined that nicotine stimulated maximum endothelin production within 5 minutes. Caffeine failed to cause a distinct peak of endothelin production within 20 minutes. These results suggest that nicotine may have a possible acute and short-lived effect on the vasoconstrictive response associated with endothelin, while caffeine-induced endothelin release may require more long-term exposure.