Methylene blue potentiates vascular reactivity in isolated rat lungs.

A bolus injection of methylene blue (1 mg), a guanylate cyclase inhibitor, or aspirin (3 mg) in the isolated rat lung preparation had little or no effect on resting perfusion pressure under normoxic condition. In contrast, methylene blue markedly potentiated hypoxic vasopressor response (4-fold) when injected before or during the alveolar hypoxic stimulation. Hemoglobin also potentiated the hypoxic pressor response. Similarly, methylene blue or aspirin augmented the pressor responses to angiotensin II (0.1-1 microgram). The increased hypoxic response induced by methylene blue was immediate and sustained. Methylene blue, when added during hypoxia in the presence of aspirin, further augmented the response to hypoxia compared with the enhanced hypoxic response observed with aspirin alone. Our results suggest that, in addition to the role of cyclooxygenase products, the pulmonary vascular bed may be regulated by endothelium-dependent factors that can be antagonized directly or indirectly by methylene blue.