Effect of noradrenaline, sodium nitrite and isosorbide dinitrate on albumin transport in the wall of the excised rabbit common carotid artery.

The effects of noradrenaline (NA), sodium nitrite (NaNO2) and isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) on the steady state distribution of 125I-labelled albumin in the wall of excised rabbit common carotid arteries were studied. The vessels were incubated in Tyrodes solution either at relaxed length and zero transmural pressure (non-pressurized) or at in vivo length and a transmural pressure of 70 mm Hg (pressurized). Label was applied in the same concentration at both the luminal and outer surfaces. The mean medial uptake in pressurized vessels was greater after treatment with 10(-7) M NA than after additional treatment with either 10(-3) M NaNO2 or 10(-3) M ISDN. The opposite was found for non-pressurized vessels. The medial uptake by NA-treated pressurized vessels was greater than that by NA-treated non-pressurized vessels, while the reverse was found for NaNO2- or ISDN-treated vessels. We conclude that the different patterns of uptake seen in these vessels results from the relative effects of externally applied stress (elongation and pressurization), smooth muscle tone and convection through the wall, on the properties of the interstitium, and possibly from the effects of the vasoactive agents on endothelial permeability.