Endothelium- and cytochrome P-450-dependent relaxation induced by isoproterenol in rat aortic rings.

In rat aortic rings, the mechanism of endothelium-dependent relaxation induced by isoproterenol is examined. Pretreatment with (+/-)-1-[2,3]-(dihydro-7-methyl-1H-inden-4-yl)oxy]-3-[(1-methyleth yl)amino] -2-butanol (ICI-118,551), a beta 2-adrenoceptor antagonist, or atenolol, a beta 1-adrenoceptor antagonist, partly inhibited the relaxing response to isoproterenol. The relaxing response to isoproterenol in the presence of ICI-118,551 or atenolol was markedly inhibited by removal of endothelium. In the aorta pretreated with ICI-118,551 or atenolol, residual relaxing response to isoproterenol was also inhibited by 2-methyl-1,2-di-3-pyridyl-1-propanone (metyrapone), alpha-naphthoflavone or 8-methoxypsoralen, cytochrome P-450 monoxygenase inhibitors, and methylene blue, but not by indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, 2,3,5-trimethyl-6-(12-hydroxy-5,10-dodecadiynyl)-1, 4-benzoquinone (AA861), a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine (NOARG), a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, Zn protoporphyrin IX, a heme oxygenase inhibitor, or yohimbine, a alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist. In the aorta denuded of endothelium, metyrapone did not affect the residual relaxing response to isoproterenol in the presence of atenolol. These results suggest that the cytochrome P-450 system may be involved in the endothelium-dependent relaxation induced by isoproterenol through beta 1- and beta 2-adrenoceptor activation.