Cardiovascular effects of N-methyl leukotriene C4, a nonmetabolizable leukotriene C4 analogue, and the antagonism of leukotriene-induced hypotension by Ro 23-3544, in the American bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana.

Although some leukotriene antagonists have been reported to block leukotriene (LT) C4 responses in vivo, it is difficult to determine whether those antagonists block the effect of LTC4 directly or act via blocking the action of LTD4, as LTC4 is metabolized to LTD4 rapidly in vivo. In this study, the dose-response curves of N-methyl LTC4 (NMLTC4), the nonmetabolizable LTC4 analogue, and the peptidoleukotrienes (LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4) were obtained in the absence and presence of the leukotriene antagonist Ro 23-3544 in cannulated frogs. The more potent effect of NMLTC4 suggests that receptors that preferentially bind LTC4 exist in frog vascular smooth muscle and the previously reported LTC4 effect is a combination of LTC4 and its less potent metabolite LTD4. The NMLTC4- and LTC4-induced hypotensive effects were antagonized by Ro 23-3544. Ro 23-3544 also antagonized the effects induced by high doses of LTD4 and LTE4. Ro 23-3544 had no effect on duration of response and did not affect heart rate responses to LTC4 at low dose of the antagonist. The data suggest that receptors that preferentially bind LTC4 in bullfrog vascular smooth muscle regulate the hypotensive effect and that they can be antagonized by Ro 23-3544.