Actions of bradykinin on isolated cerebral and peripheral arteries.

The addition of bradykinin (BK) caused a dose-related contraction in helical strips of canine cerebral, internal carotid, external carotid, and femoral arteries, while the peptide elicited a relaxation in canine coronary, renal, and mesenteric arteries contracted with 5+ or prostaglandin F2alpha. In contrast to canine cerebral arteries, human cerebral arteries contracted with K+ or prostaglandin relaxed with BK. Contractile responses of canine cerebral arteries to BK were not influenced by phentolamine, diphenhydramine, and methysergide, but were attenuated by aspirin and indomethacin. Contractions induced by K+ were not or only slightly inhibited by these anti-inflammatory agents. Polyphloretin phosphate failed to reduce BK-induced contractions. Relaxing effects of BK on canine coronary arterial strips were not altered by atropine, propranolol, metiamide, and aminophylline, but were inhibited by aspirin and indomethacin. Adenosine-induced relaxation was unaffected by the latter two agents. It may be concluded that adrenergic, cholinergic, histaminergic, and adenosine-related mechanisms are not involved in the genesis of BK-induced contraction and relaxation. Contractile responses of canine cerebral arteries to BK do not appear to derive from prostaglandins released, but rather from a direct action on vascular smooth muscle cells.