Vascular prostaglandin and thromboxane production in a canine model of myocardial ischemia.

Whereas numerous studies have investigated the role of prostacyclin and thromboxane A2 in the maintenance of coronary blood flow, most of these have focused on normal vessels. In the present investigation, we examined the prostaglandin- and thromboxane-synthesizing capacity of isolated coronary artery segments obtained from the site of a critical coronary artery stenosis. Cyclic flow variations were produced by placing a hard cylindrical constrictor on the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery in open-chest, anesthetized dogs. Cyclic flow variations are characterized by progressive declines in coronary blood flow, interrupted by sudden spontaneous restorations of flow. After cyclic flow variations had been induced, the hearts were removed, and the left anterior descending and circumflex coronary arteries were dissected. The vessels were cut into segments and incubated in the presence of increasing concentrations of arachidonic acid (10(-4)-10(-6) M). The synthesis of prostaglandin E2, thromboxane B2, and 6-keto prostaglandin F1 alpha by the coronary segments was measured by radioimmunoassay. When incubated in the presence of 10(-5) M arachidonic acid, coronary artery segments obtained from the left anterior descending coronary artery undergoing cyclic flow variations produced substantially more thromboxane B2 (142 +/- 27 vs. 29 +/- 3 pg/mg P less than 0.01) and less 6-keto prostaglandin F1alpha (125 +/- 12 vs. 350 +/- 30 pg/mg, P less than 0.01) than control circumflex coronary artery segments. Circumflex coronary vessels in which the endothelium was removed ex vivo produced 6-keto prostaglandin F1alpha levels comparable to those found in the left anterior descending coronary artery (147 +/- 17 pg/mg), but did not synthesize thromboxane B2 (23 +/- 2.6 pg/mg).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)