A comparison of the effects of angiotensin II and heptapeptide on smooth muscle (vascular and uterine).

On the rabbit isolated aorta, dose-dependent contractions to both angiotensin II and heptapeptide ([des-Asp1]-angiotensin II) were obtained. The curves were parallel, and reached the same maximum level. On the rat isolated uterus, angiotensin II and the heptapeptide displayed non-parallel dose-response curves. Results obtained with angiotensin-analog antagonists and cross-tachyphylaxis experiments suggest that the heptapeptide and angiotensin II act, preferentially, on different populations of receptors in the uterus. The difference in action of indomethacin on recovery from tachyphylaxis to angiotensin II and heptapeptide on rat isolated aorta suggests that the mechanism of induction of tachyphylaxis by these two peptides may differ. SQ 20881, the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, totally inhibited uterine responses to both decapeptide and nonapeptide, while slightly potentiating those to angiotensin II and heptapaptide. Indomethacin had no significant effect on uterine responses to either angiotensin II or the heptapeptide.