Isolated perfused rabbit coronary artery and aortic strip preparations: the role of endothelium-derived relaxant factor.

Isolated perfused coronary arteries and aortic ring preparations of rabbits were studied, both with intact endothelium and with endothelium removed by K-rich solution and friction respectively. Constrictor dose-responses to histamine, acetylcholine, phenylephrine and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were measured. They were greatly depressed by the presence of endothelium in coronary preparations. In aortic preparations endothelium affected dose-responses relatively little, depressing the response to acetylcholine but apparently increasing the responses to the other three agents. Acetylcholine relaxed pre-constricted coronary or aortic preparations but only when endothelium was present. This relaxation was inhibited by quinacrine or hydroquinone. Aortic preparations had resting tone which could be increased by hydroquinone if endothelium was present, suggesting continual release of endothelium-derived relaxant factor (EDRF) at rest. When allowance was made for basal EDRF activity in aortic preparations, the maximal constrictor response to acetylcholine remained lower in the presence of endothelium, consistent with acetylcholine stimulation of EDRF, but maximal constrictor responses to the other three agents were the same with and without endothelium, suggesting that the direct constrictor response overrides EDRF activity.