Comparison of intraluminal and extraluminal inhibitory effects of hemoglobin on endothelium-dependent relaxation of rabbit basilar artery.

To determine whether extraluminal or intraluminal hemoglobin inhibits endothelium-dependent relaxation, we measured the vascular responsiveness of rabbit basilar artery in an in vitro perfusion system and we performed immunohistochemical staining for hemoglobin. In the in vitro study, we applied agents from either the intraluminal or the extraluminal side of excised basilar arteries. KCl-induced contraction was the same with either application. Acetylcholine-induced maximal relaxations were 57.6 +/- 8.5% of the contraction induced by 10(-5) M 5-hydroxytryptamine for control, 3.3 +/- 0.3% for intraluminal, and 34.9 +/- 8.6% for extraluminal applications. Adenosine triphosphate-induced maximal relaxations were 64.2 +/- 4.1% of the contraction induced by 10(-5) M 5-hydroxytryptamine for control, 26.9 +/- 3.8% for intraluminal, and 42.2 +/- 6.0% for extraluminal applications. Hemoglobin's inhibition of acetylcholine- and adenosine triphosphate-induced relaxation was significantly greater with intraluminal than with extraluminal application (p less than 0.05). The immunohistochemical study revealed hemoglobin in the outer layer of the smooth muscle and in the adventitia when 10(-5) M hemoglobin was applied extraluminally for 5 minutes, whereas hemoglobin was observed on the surface of the endothelial cells after intraluminal application. Our findings suggest that hemoglobin inhibits acetylcholine- or adenosine triphosphate-induced relaxation by binding to endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) and by inhibiting production of EDRF. Hemoglobin's inhibitory effect on endothelium-dependent relaxation may be important in the pathogenesis of vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage.