BACKGROUND Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) is an established therapy in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular dysfunction following left ventricular assist device implantation. Since it is known that endothelin-1 contributes to pulmonary hypertension, and nitric oxide modulates endothelin-1 synthesis in vitro, we investigated the effects of iNO on circulating endothelin-1 and...

Endothelin is a potent vasoconstrictor peptide produced by endothelial cells, but its role in physiology and disease is uncertain. We investigated the influence of the endothelin-A-selective receptor antagonist PD 147953 and the nonselective endothelin receptor antagonist PD 145065 on the effects of endothelin-1 and endothelin-3 in the skin microcirculation of healthy volunteers, using laser Do...

The endothelin axis is a group of signaling molecules and their receptors that have been implicated in vascularization of cancers, with their expression being observed to change in different cancer types. In this research, we examined the expression of endothelin 1 and endothelin receptor A at the protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in 123 papillary thyroid carcinomas and 40 matched lymph n...

Renal medullary endothelin B receptors contribute to blood pressure regulation by facilitating salt excretion. Premenopausal females have relatively less hypertension than males; therefore, we examined whether there is a sex difference in the natriuretic response to renal medullary infusion of endothelin peptides in the rat. All of the experiments were conducted in anesthetized wild-type (wt) o...

The enzymatic conversion of human big endothelins (1, 2, and 3) to their respective active metabolites (endothelin-1, -2, and -3) was investigated in the perfused rabbit kidney through the pressor- and eicosanoid-releasing properties of these peptides. Intra-arterial bolus injections of endothelin-1 and -2 (5-50 pmol), endothelin-3 (100-250 pmol), and big endothelin-1 and -2 (100-250 pmol) into...

The terminal colon is aganglionic in mice lacking endothelin-3 or its receptor, endothelin B. To analyze the effects of endothelin-3/endothelin B on the differentiation of enteric neurons, E11-13 mouse gut was dissociated, and positive and negative immunoselection with antibodies to p75(NTR )were used to isolate neural crest- and non-crest-derived cells. mRNA encoding endothelin B was present i...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Endothelin is a potent vasoconstrictor in several tissues, including the choroid plexus. The goal of this study was to determine whether endothelin affects the production of cerebrospinal fluid. METHODS Ventriculocisternal perfusion was used to measure the production of cerebrospinal fluid in anesthetized rabbits. Changes in production of cerebrospinal fluid were examin...

The influence of alloxan-induced diabetes on the reactivity of rabbit basilar artery to endothelin-1 was examined. Endothelin-1 induced concentration-dependent contraction of basilar arteries that was higher in diabetic than in control rabbits. Endothelium removal produced a higher enhancement of the endothelin-1-induced contraction in control than in diabetic rabbits. N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (L-...

The influence of diabetes on regulatory mechanisms and specific receptors implicated in the contractile response of isolated rabbit carotid arteries to endothelin-1 was examined. Endothelin-1 induced a concentration-dependent contraction that was greater in arteries from diabetic rabbits than in arteries from control rabbits. Endothelium removal or N(G)-nitro-L-arginine enhanced contractions in...

Endothelin-1 has potent vasoconstrictor and vasopressor actions contributing to basal vascular tone and maintenance of blood pressure acting predominantly through endothelin-A receptors. Endothelin antagonists may be of value in the treatment of hypertension and heart failure. However, the role of endothelin-1 in the regulation of vascular tone and the potential benefits of endothelin antagonis...