Vascular and Cardiac Effects of Endothelin

摘要: Endothelin (ET)-1, the most potent mammalian vasoconstrictor identified to date, was originally characterized as a peptide capable of producing contractile responses that were both sustained and extremely resistant wash-out (Yanagisawa et al. 1988). Subsequently, ET-1 has been shown contract resistance arterioles venous tissue in addition conduit arteries (venous generally being more sensitive than arterial vessels; Brain 1988, 1989; Borges 1989b; Cocks D’Orleans-Juste 1989). Furthermore, since subthreshold concentrations augment actions norepinephrine, 5-HT, angiotensin II, it proposed also sensitizes vessels other “classical” circulating neurohumoral factors (MacLean McGrath 1990; Lerman 1991; Nakayama 1991).