Are there different ETB receptors mediating constriction and relaxation?

Because certain antagonists of endothelin (ET) ETB receptors (such as the mixed ETA+ETB antagonist PD 142893 or the selective ETB receptor antagonist BQ-788) were shown to antagonize the ETB-mediated dilatation to ET-1 but not the ETB-mediated constriction to ET-1, the existence of two subtypes of to ET-1, the existence of two subtypes of ETB receptors was suggested. The goal of the present study was to further explore this absence of functional antagonism of ETB-mediated constriction by so-called ETB receptor antagonists. In rat tracheal rings denuded of epithelium, Ro 46-8443, a selective ETB receptor antagonist, did not shift the concentration-response curve of ET-1 but antagonized sarafotoxin S6c-induced contractions. However, the ET-1-mediated contractions could be attributed to ETB receptor activation, because BQ-123 had no inhibitory effect except at high doses of ET-1. Preincubation of tracheal rings with BQ-123 (10(-5) M) to block ETA receptors revealed an antagonist effect of Ro 46-8443 on contractions induced by ET-1. By analogy with these pharmacologic experiments, desensitization of ETB receptors by preincubation with sarafotoxin S6c did not modify contractile responses to ET-1 except when the tracheal rings were exposed to BQ-123. We conclude that on rat tracheal rings, ET-1 and sarafotoxin S6c activate a common ETB receptor. However, blockade of ETB receptors is not sufficient for inhibition of ET-1-mediated responses because of cross-talk between receptors that allows ETA to compensate for a blockade of ETB receptors. This study suggests that the endothelial ETB receptor mediating dilatation and the smooth muscle cell ETB receptor mediating constriction may not represent two different subtypes.