The present study was designed to determine whether endothelin and "big endothelin" are released from aortic strips with endothelium and to examine the effect of thrombin by using a specific radioimmunoassay. Porcine aortic strips with endothelium released immunoreactive endothelin (ir-endothelin) and immunoreactive big endothelin (ir-big endothelin) into the medium in a time-dependent manner. ...

OBJECTIVE Endothelin-1 is a potent vasoconstrictor derived from vascular endothelium. Elevated endothelin-1 levels are observed in a host of cardiovascular pathologies including cardiomyopathy. The epigenetic mechanism responsible for endothelin-1 induction in these pathological processes remains elusive. APPROACH AND RESULTS We report here that induction of endothelin-1 expression in endothe...

PURPOSE To study the distribution of the endothelins in the eye using ocular tissues of human, rat, and porcine origin. METHODS Extracts of ocular tissues were examined for immunoreactivity to endothelin 1 and 3 and pro-endothelin 1 using radioimmunoassay. Characterization of immunoreactivity was verified using high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS Immunoreactivity to endothelin 1...

Slow dissociation of endothelin 1 from its endothelin A receptors is responsible for the long-lasting vasoconstrictor effects of the peptide. We showed recently that calcitonin gene-related peptide selectively terminates long-lasting contractile responses to endothelin 1 in isolated rat mesenteric arteries. Here we assessed whether the antiendothelinergic effect of calcitonin gene-related pepti...

Dual endothelin ETA and ETB receptor antagonists are approved therapy for pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). We hypothesized that ETB receptor-mediated clearance of endothelin-1 at specific vascular sites may compromise this targeted therapy. Concentration-response curves (CRC) to endothelin-1 or the ETB agonist sarafotoxin S6c were constructed, with endothelin receptor antagonists, in variou...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of endothelin-1 in modulating hepatic microcirculation and liver damage. Rats were infused with endothelin-1 at doses ranging from 30 to 1,000 pmol/kg over 1 min through an indwelling cannula placed in the portal vein. In control rats, saline solution was infused at the same rate. Alterations in hepatic microcirculation were measured with an in...

1. The contractile responses to endothelin-1 and the effect on these of various magnesium concentrations, were studied in isolated aortic rings from normotensive Sprague-Dawley rats and deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt (DOCA-salt) hypertensive rats. 2. Contractions induced by endothelin-1 were smaller in endothelium-denuded aortae from DOCA-salt hypertensive rats than in those from normotensive...

Osteoblastic bone metastases are common in prostate and breast cancer patients, but mechanisms by which tumor cells stimulate new bone formation are unclear. We identified three breast cancer cell lines that cause osteoblastic metastases in a mouse model and secrete endothelin-1. Tumor-produced endothelin-1 stimulates new bone formation in vitro and osteoblastic metastases in vivo via the endot...