Pharmacological studies on prostanoid receptors in the rabbit isolated saphenous vein: a comparison with the rabbit isolated ear artery.

1. In isolated ring preparations of the rabbit saphenous vein, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) caused well-defined, stable and concentration-dependent relaxations of KCl contracted tissues with a mean potency (p[A50]) of 9.39. 2. The prostanoid EP-receptor agonists, PGE1, 11-deoxy PGE1, 16,16-dimethyl PGE2 and misoprostol were all full agonists in this preparation. The EP2-receptor selective agonists, butaprost and AH13205, and the EP1/EP3-receptor selective agonist, sulprostone, also relaxed this tissue but were at least 300 times less potent than PGE2. 3. Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), the DP-receptor agonist, BW245C, and the IP-receptor agonist, cicaprost, caused concentration-dependent relaxations of the rabbit saphenous vein but were at least 60 times less potent than PGE2. 4. The selective EP4-receptor antagonist, AH23848B (30 microM), antagonized the PGE2 concentration-effect (E/[A]) curves yielding a pA2 estimate of 4.96. The EP1/DP-receptor antagonist, AH6809 (10 microM), had no effect on the location of PGE2 E/[A] curves. 5. The stable thromboxane A2-mimetic, U46619, elicited concentration-dependent contractions of the rabbit saphenous vein (p[A50] = 8.01) however, PGE2 and prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) were unable to produce a contractile response. The response to U46619 was competitively antagonized by the TP-receptor antagonist, GR32191B, yielding a pKB estimate of 7.08. 6. In the rabbit isolated ear artery, PGE2, misoprostol and AH13205 relaxed tissues pre-contracted with phenylephrine. PGE2 (p[A50] = 7.04) and misoprostol were equipotent, whereas AH13205 was some 40 fold less potent. AH23848B (30 microM) and AH6809 (1 and 10 microM) caused no significant shift in the location of PGE2 E/[A] curves. 7. These data suggest that the rabbit isolated saphenous vein contains prostanoid, EP-, DP-, IP- and TP-receptors. Based on antagonist affinity information and agonist potency orders, the rabbit saphenous vein contains an inhibitory prostanoid EP-receptor different from that in the rabbit ear artery, but comparable to the recently described EP4-receptor.