Effects of thiopental, ketamine, etomidate, propofol and midazolam on the production of adrenomedullin and endothelin-1 in vascular smooth muscle cells

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) and adrenomedullin (AM) are potent vasoconstrictive and vasodilative peptides. Vascular smooth muscle cells are one of the major p roducing tissues of these peptides. We investigated effect of thiopental, k etamine, etomidate, midazolam and propofol on the production of ET-1 and AM in cultured rat aorta vascular smooth muscle cells. Rat cultured vascular smooth muscle cells are used and the dose-dependent effect (10(-8)-10(-4) M ) of thiopental, ketamine, etomidate, midazolam, and propofol on the produc tion of ET-1 and AM was examined. The concentartion of these peptides in th e culture medium were measured by radioimmunoassay. Ketamine, etomidate, pr opofol and midazolam, but not thiopental, decreased the production of ET-1 at a concentration of 10(-4) M and the effect of midazolam is the most pote nt. Thiopental and etomidate produced small but significant increases in th e production of AM at a concentration of 10(-4) M. Ketamine did not affect the production, but propofol and midazolam decreased the production at 10(- 4) M and 10(-5) M, respectively. These results suggest that thiopental, ket amine, etomidate, propofol and midazolam differentially affect the producti on of ET-1 and AM in rat vascular smooth muscle cells.