T. Okamura et al., RECEPTOR SUBTYPES INVOLVED IN RELAXATION AND CONTRACTION BY ARGININE-VASOPRESSIN IN CANINE ISOLATED SHORT POSTERIOR CILIARY ARTERIES, Journal of vascular research, 34(6), 1997, pp. 464-472
Arginine vasopressin (AVP) produced relaxations at low concentrations(
10(-11) and 10(-10) M) and contractions at higher concentrations in ca
nine ciliary arterial strips with endothelium, partially contracted wi
th prostglandin F-2 alpha. The AVP-induced relaxation was abolished or
reversed to a contraction by removal of the endothelium or treatment
with N-G-nitro-L-arginine. The effect of this antagonist was reversed
by L-arginine. The relaxant response was inhibited dose-dependently by
SR49059 (10(-10)-10(-9) M), [Pump(1),Tyr(Me)(2)]Arg(8)-vasopressin (P
MP-AVP) (10(-10)-10(-9) M), V-1 receptor antagonists, and OPC31260 (3
x 10(-8) M), a reported V-2 receptor antagonist, but not by OPC21268 (
10(-7)-10(-6) M), a reported V-1 antagonist. In the endothelium-denude
d strips, the AVP-induced contraction was attenuated by SR49059, PMP-A
VP and OPC31260, but not by OPC21268. It is concluded that AVP in low
concentrations elicits intense relaxation of canine ciliary arteries,
possibly due to nitric oxide synthesized in association with activatio
n of the endothelial V-1 receptor subtype. AVP-induced contractions ap
pear to be mediated also by the V-1 receptor in smooth muscle. Antagon
istic selectivities of the OPC compounds to vasopressin receptor subty
pes could not be seen in this particular material.