Actions of some prostaglandins and leukotrienes on rat cerebral and mesenteric arteries.

The effects of some prostaglandins (PG's) and leukotrienes (LT's) on rat middle cerebral, basilar and mesenteric arteries were evaluated in vitro. The order of potency of some prostanoids with respect to their contractile effects in basilar arteries was: U44069 greater than PGF2 alpha greater than PGI2 approximately equal to PGE2 greater than 6-keto-PGE1 greater than 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, whereas 6,15-diketo-PGF1 alpha was inactive. Middle cerebral and basilar arteries were 3-5 times more sensitive than mesenteric arteries to PGF2 alpha. LTD4 and LTC4 were inactive in all three vessel types. PGI2 produced a concentration-related relaxation of similar potency in all three arteries contracted by PGF2 alpha. Arteries preactivated by other agents (K+, noradrenaline, 5-hydroxytryptamine) either failed to relax or inconsistently relaxed after PGI2 application. Among the PGI2 metabolites (6-keto-PGF1 alpha, 6,15-diketo-PGF1 alpha, 6-keto-PGE1), only 6-keto-PGE1 elicited relaxation in the PGF2 alpha-contracted basilar artery. However, the drug potency was significantly smaller than that of PGI2. Nifedipine inhibited the PGF2 alpha-induced contraction by 68% in middle cerebral arteries and by 80% in mesenteric arteries. Exposure to Ca2+-free medium for a time period which almost completely abolished the contractile response to K+ (less than 5% left), reduced the PGF2 alpha-induced contraction by 54, 61 and 85% in middle cerebral, basilar and mesenteric arteries, respectively. The PGF2 alpha-induced contraction of cerebral arteries in Ca2+-free medium was usually composed of a rapidly developing first phase, which levelled off after 1-2 min, and a second slowly developing tonic phase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)