The effects of perhexiline on the rat coronary vasculature

The predominant site and mechanism(s) of perhexiline-induced coronary vasodilatation were investigated in the rat heart. Perhexiline was more potent in the Langendorff perfused heart than in the left anterior descending coronary artery (EC50; 0.27 microM, confidence limits 0.19-0.39: 2.7 microM, 2.0-3.4, respectively). Selective endothelial inactivation with Triton X-100 in the perfused heart, reduced the response to perhexiline 1 microM (76+8% to 30+3% of control). 1H-[1,2,4]Oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ) 3 microM, Nomega-nitro-L-arginine 100 microM, or a combination of the latter with indomethacin 10 microM, had no significant effect on responses to perhexiline in the perfused heart. Unlike bradykinin-induced vasodilatation, responses to perhexiline were not inhibited by tetrabutylammonium 1 mM, or charybdotoxin 20 nM. SKF525A 5 microM inhibited both perhexiline and bradykinin responses, while apamin 1 microM and glibenclamide 3 microM inhibited neither. Perhexiline exerts partially endothelium-dependent coronary vasodilator effects in the rat, predominantly on small coronary arteries, which appear to be independent of nitric oxide (NO), prostacyclin and the endothelium-derived hyperpolarising factor (EDHF) released by bradykinin.