Using 16-20 week old female spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), th
e effects of the antitumor agent, taxol, on vascular reactivity were e
xamined. Taxol significantly inhibited contraction induced by phenylep
hrine, angiotensin II, phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate and increasing concent
rations of calcium. The data suggest that taxol does not augment hyper
sensitivity of the vascular, but instead attenuates contractile activi
ty and may have important implications with respect to treatment of wo
men with both cancer and cardiovascular disease.