Kamitani T, Little M H, Ellis E F
J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 1985 Dec;5(4):554-9. doi: 10.1038/jcbfm.1985.83.
To determine the possible role that leukotrienes (LTs) may play in the regulation of cerebral blood flow, the responses of cerebral arterioles to LTs and 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) were studied in vivo in rabbits equipped with a cranial window for direct observation of the microcirculation. Topical application of LTC4, LTD4, or 12-HETE (1.6 X 10(-9)-3.1 X 10(-6) M) neither constricted nor dilated the pial arteries. LTB4 produced only a 5% vasoconstriction at 3.0 X 10(-6) M. However, bradykinin induced dose-dependent arteriolar vasodilation and histamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine induced dose-dependent arteriolar vasoconstriction. Although some LTs have potent vasoconstrictor activity in peripheral tissues and 5-lipoxygenase products have been hypothesized to be mediators of vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage, LTB4, LTC4, LTD4, and 12-HETE apparently are unable to induce significant constriction of the cerebral arterioles in the anesthetized rabbit.
