Impaired muscarinic endothelium-dependent relaxation and cyclic guanosine 5'-monophosphate formation in atherosclerotic human coronary artery and rabbit aorta

• Published in: The Journal of clinical investigation Vol. 79; no. 1; pp. 170 - 174
• Main Authors: BOSSALLER, C, HABIB, G. B, YAMAMOTO, H, WILLIAMS, C, WELLS, S, HENRY, P. D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ann Arbor, MI American Society for Clinical Investigation 1987
• Subjects: Acetylcholine - pharmacology; Animals; Aorta - physiopathology; Arteriosclerosis - physiopathology; Biological and medical sciences; Calcimycin - pharmacology; Cardiology. Vascular system; Coronary heart disease; Coronary Vessels - physiopathology; Cyclic GMP - metabolism; Endothelium - physiopathology; Heart; Histamine - pharmacology; Humans; Medical sciences; Nitric Oxide; Nitroglycerin - pharmacology; Rabbits; Receptors, Muscarinic - physiology; Substance P - pharmacology; Vasodilation; Vasodilator Agents - secretion; Human; Pharmacologic test; Coronary artery; Rabbit; Cardiovascular disease; 3',5'-GMP; Lagomorpha; Coronary heart disease; In vitro; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Atherosclerosis; Aorta; Acetylcholine
• ISSN: 0021-9738; 1558-8238
• DOI: 10.1172/jci112779

The dependence of vascular relaxation on an intact endothelium and the relationship between relaxation and cyclic GMP accumulation were determined in coronary arteries isolated from cardiac transplantation patients with or without coronary atherosclerosis. In nonatherosclerotic arteries, the endothelium-dependent agent acetylcholine produced concentration-related relaxations. In atherosclerotic arteries, endothelium-dependent relaxations were abolished with acetylcholine, partly suppressed with substance P and histamine, and completely preserved with the ionophore A23187. In these arteries, the endothelium-independent agent nitroglycerin remained fully active. Accumulation of cyclic GMP in atherosclerotic strips was suppressed with acetylcholine but unattenuated with A23187 and nitroglycerin. In aortas from rabbits with diet-induced atherosclerosis, there was likewise an impaired cholinergic relaxation and cyclic GMP accumulation in the presence of preserved responses to A23187 and nitroglycerin. The results demonstrate that impaired cholinergic responses in atherosclerotic arteries reflect a muscarinic defect and not an inability of endothelium to release endothelial factor or smooth muscle to respond to it.