Mediators of arachidonic acid-induced relaxation of bovine coronary artery.

Bovine coronary arteries relax in response to bradykinin, methacholine, sodium nitroprusside, isoproterenol, and arachidonic acid in a concentration-dependent manner. The relaxations to methacholine, bradykinin, and arachidonic acid are lost when endothelium is removed. Indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, attenuated the relaxations to methacholine, bradykinin, and arachidonic acid and shifted the EC50 (control versus indomethacin) to each (1 x 10(-7) versus 3 x 10(-7) mo1/L, 3 x 10(-10) versus 2 x 10(-9) mo1/L, and 3 x 10(-7) versus 2 x 10(-6) mo1/L, respectively). Nitro-L-arginine, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, also attenuated the relaxations to methacholine, bradykinin, and arachidonic acid and shifted the EC50 (control versus nitro-L-arginine) to each (1 x 10(-7) versus 3 x 10(-7) mo1/L, 3 x 10(-10) versus > 10(-9) mo1/L, and 3 x 10(-7) versus > 10(-6) mo1/L, respectively). The combination of indomethacin and nitro-L-arginine blunted the relaxations to these agents and also shifted the EC50 values (control versus indomethacin plus nitro-L-arginine) to each (1 x 10(-7) versus 5 x 10(-7) mo1/L, 3 x 10(-10) versus > 10(-9) mo1/L, and 3 x 10(-7) versus > 10(-6) mo1/L, respectively). Methacholine, bradykinin, and arachidonic acid stimulated the release of prostaglandin I2, measured as 6-keto-PGF1 alpha. Indomethacin, but not nitro-L-arginine, inhibited arachidonic acid-induced release of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha. Vascular cGMP content was unchanged by arachidonic acid but was significantly elevated by bradykinin. Relaxations to prostaglandin I2 and sodium nitroprusside, but not 8,9-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid or isoproterenol, were inhibited by nitro-L-arginine. We conclude that the endothelium-dependent relaxations to methacholine, bradykinin, and arachidonic acid are partly due to prostaglandin I2 release. The remainder of the responses to these agents is due to the release of other relaxing factor or factors. Since bradykinin increased cGMP and nitro-L-arginine partially inhibited its relaxant effects, nitric oxide also appears to participate in the bradykinin-induced effect. Since the combination of indomethacin and nitro-L-arginine failed to completely block the relaxations to methacholine, bradykinin, and arachidonic acid, another endothelial factor must contribute to their vascular effects. Surprisingly, nitro-L-arginine attenuated the relaxations to arachidonic acid; however, L-arginine failed to reverse the effects of nitro-L-arginine on arachidonic acid-induced relaxations. In addition, arachidonic acid failed to increase cGMP. Nitro-L-arginine also reduced the responses to prostaglandin I2 and sodium nitroprusside. These data indicate that these arginine analogues may have effects other than competitive inhibition of nitric oxide synthase.