An in vitro study of the pharmacological and electrophysiological properties and the adrenergic innervation of small pulmonary arteries from children with pulmonary hypertension.

A study was made of the pharmacological and electrophysiological properties of pieces of small intrapulmonary arteries (100-450 micron I.D.) taken from children with cardiac defects that caused the pulmonary circulation to be exposed to an abnormally high perfusion pressure. The sensitivity of the arterial smooth muscle to the constrictor agonists acetylcholine and 5-hydroxytryptamine was similar to that reported for adult pulmonary arteries. Norepinephrine or histamine caused little or no constriction, although both these substances have been reported to be powerful constrictors of adult pulmonary arteries. The electrophysiological properties were similar to those of the smooth muscle of systemic arteries. The mean resting membrane potential was -6.12 mV +/- 1.29 (SEM n = 16). Stimulation of the perivascular nerves produced excitatory junction potentials, but no smooth muscle action potentials were recorded. Histochemical investigation revealed catecholamine containing nerve fibres around all intrapulmonary arteries down to 40 micron I.D.