Reversal of hypercapnia induces endothelin-dependent constriction of basilar artery in rabbits with acute metabolic alkalosis.

We recently concluded that constriction of basilar artery due to respiration-induced hypocapnia in rabbits with acute metabolic alkalosis and accompanying compensatory hypercapnia was independent of NO and K(ATP) channels. Based on reports that endothelin-1-mediated hypocapnic constriction of the rabbit basilar artery in vitro, we further investigated whether the respiration-induced hypocapnic constriction was endothelin-1 mediated. Metabolic alkalosis was induced acutely following ketamine/xylazine injection. The ET(A) plus ET(B) receptor antagonist, PD145065 (1 microM), and the selective ET(A) receptor antagonist, BQ610 (3 microM), completely relaxed the hypocapnic constriction, as determined in a cranial window. Unexpectedly, the ET(B) receptor antagonists, BQ788 and RES-701-1 (3 microM), relaxed the constriction by 72.1+/-2.8% (4) and 77.2+/-8.7% (5), respectively (means+/-S.E. (n)). To investigate whether the large magnitudes of relaxation to both ET(A) and ET(B) receptor antagonists were due to nonselectivity of the antagonists, the effects of the antagonists on the constriction to exogenous endothelin-1 were evaluated. BQ610, BQ788, and RES-701-1 relaxed the 3-5 nM endothelin-1 constriction by only 64.3+/-7.6% (4), 43.5+/-8.5% (5), and 26.7+/-4.8% (3) (means+/-S.E. (n)), respectively, consistent with the selective blocking action of these antagonists. To investigate whether the greater magnitude of BQ610, BQ788, and RES-701-1 relaxation of hypocapnic constricted versus exogenous endothelin-1-constricted vessels was due to differences between constriction elicited by endogenous versus exogenous endothelin-1, the effects of the endothelin receptor antagonists on constriction to isocapnic alkaline suffusate were evaluated. PD145065 (1 microM) and 0.1 mM phosphoramidon, an endothelin-converting enzyme inhibitor, inhibited the constriction to isocapnic alkaline suffusate by 83.8+/-7.8% (6) and 74.3+/-9.7% (8) (means+/-S.E. (n)), respectively, consistent with the endothelin-1 dependency of the constriction. BQ610, BQ788, and RES-701-1 relaxed the isocapnic alkaline suffusate constriction by 74.9+/-6.7% (5), 65.5+/-6.4% (5), and 78.0+/-6.5% (4) (means+/-S.E. (n)), respectively. Thus, the relaxation profile to the selective endothelin receptor antagonists in isocapnic alkaline constricted vessels more closely approximated the relaxation profile observed in hypocapnic constricted as compared to endothelin-1-constricted vessels. Hypocapnia did not alter the 5 nM endothelin-1 constriction. These results suggest that, under conditions of acute metabolic alkalosis and accompanying compensatory hypercapnia, subsequent hypocapnic constriction is endothelin mediated. Both ET(A) and ET(B) receptor activation may mediate the hypocapnic constriction. The hypocapnic constriction is not due to enhanced endothelin-1 constriction and, thus, is due to the release of endothelin-1 and/or additional endothelins.