Pathologic leukocyte infiltration of the rabbit aorta confers a vasomotor effect to chemotactic peptides through cyclooxygenase-derived metabolites.

We determined the effect of chemotactic peptides FMLP and C5a, postulated to be relatively selective activators of phagocytes, on the thoracic aorta of rabbits subjected to experimental pathologies that allowed infiltration by leukocytes, i.e., dietary atherosclerosis and serum sickness. Aortic ring tissues isolated from hypercholesterolemic rabbits, precontracted or not by phenylephrine, exhibited a rapid and relatively sustained (10 to 20 min) contractile response when challenged by FMLP (10 nM and above); precontracted tissues also responded to C5a (2.5 nM and above). Aortic rings from rabbits with serum sickness (13 days post-BSA injection) exhibited brief contractions that were often followed by a relaxation in phenylephrine-precontracted tissues. In both models, tissues from normal weight-matched animals were not consistently responsive to these peptides. The cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin extensively reduced the contractile effect of either peptide on precontracted aortic rings in both models. Chemotactic peptide-induced increased prostanoid secretion was evident only in the fluid bathing atherosclerotic aortic rings. Morphologic correlations included the demonstration of cells positive for the RAM-11 macrophage marker and the C5a receptors in tissues from rabbits with hypercholesterolemia (numerous clusters of cells) or serum sickness (modest infiltration). Control aortic rings responded to FMLP by a significant contraction if cultured for 2 h in the presence of resident peritoneal cells (84% macrophages), but not in the presence of a high density of PBL (less than 0.5% monocytes). Infiltrating or adherent macrophages in the blood vessel wall confer to some phagocyte activating peptides the role of eicosanoid-dependent vasoconstrictor agents.