Vasoactive intestinal peptide may participate in the vasodilation of the dog hepatic artery.

The possible direct action of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) on dog hepatic arterial wall or on the noradrenergic innervation of the artery was investigated in vitro. In addition, VIP-containing nerve fibers and terminals were located in the wall of the artery with immunochemical staining. Direct evidence showed that VIP did not affect the release of [3H]norepinephrine but reduced the response of the isolated hepatic artery to electrical field stimulation and exogenous norepinephrine. This suggests that the effect of VIP is postjunctional on the smooth muscle of the artery. VIP-containing nerve fibers and varicosities were observed in the adventitial and medial layer of the arterial wall. These findings strongly support the hypothesis that vasoactive intestinal peptide is a physiological mediator of vasodilation in the hepatic artery.