Augmentation of vasoconstrictor responses to serotonin by acute and chronic factors: inhibition by ketanserin.

Serotonin induces constrictor responses on smooth muscle tissues from several vascular regions mainly by its interaction with serotonin-S2 receptor sites. The individual sensitivity of various blood vessels to serotonin may vary considerably. Serotonin (e.g. released from aggregating platelets) also induces vascular contractions by amplifying the response to other vasoactive substances. The vascular reactivity to serotonin can be markedly augmented by acute hypoxia (95% N2, 5% CO2; canine coronary arteries) and by cooling from 37 degrees to 29 degrees C (rabbit tibial and canine saphenous arteries). Blood vessels become hyperreactive to the vasoconstrictor component of serotonin in a number of disease states. Isolated perfused kidneys from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) exhibit direct and indirect (amplifying) vasoconstrictor responses to serotonin. The amplifying effect of serotonin is significantly more pronounced in 6-month-old than in 2-month-old SHRs. Both the direct and indirect vasoconstrictor responses to serotonin, whether or not augmented by acute or chronic conditions, are inhibited by the serotonin-S2 receptor antagonist, ketanserin (4 X 10(-10) to 4 X 10(-7) mol/l). Both the hypersensitivity of vascular tissue to serotonin and the amplifying effect of the amine may greatly contribute to hypertension and other cardiovascular disorders.