Differences in basal endothelium-derived relaxing factor activity in different artery types.

Mechanical responses and calcium influx were measured in order to compare basal endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) activity in isolated preparations of rabbit aorta, rat aorta, and dog coronary artery. EDRF activity was characterized by endothelium-dependent mechanical relaxation and reduction of 45Ca influx which could be blocked by EDRF inhibitors. In resting preparations, the mechanical effects of basal EDRF were negligible in all preparations, and a small effect on calcium influx was demonstrated only in rat preparations. In agonist-constricted preparations, basal EDRF activity had only a small mechanical effect in rabbit preparations but markedly depressed constriction in rat and dog preparations; likewise, it had no demonstrable effect on calcium influx in rabbit preparations but had a marked effect in rat and dog preparations. In both resting and agonist-stimulated rabbit preparations, endothelium caused a cyclooxygenase product-dependent increase in calcium influx. Thus, basal EDRF activity has little or no effect in resting preparations and little or no effect in agonist-stimulated rabbit aorta preparations, but a marked effect in agonist-stimulated rat aorta and dog coronary preparations.