Reversal of tachyphylaxis to angiotensin II in dog lung

Angiotensin II (ANG II) is a potent vasoconstrictor in most vascular beds. We studied the role of cyclooxygenase products and/or endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) in modulating the pressor response to ANG II in the isolated, blood perfused dog lung. ANG II was given as a bolus dose of 2, 4 and 8 micrograms before and after cyclooxygenase inhibition (COI) with either 40 mumol/l indometacin (INDO) or 45 mumol/l meclofenamate (MECLO), and before and after methylene blue (MB) infusion followed by MECLO or MECLO followed by MB infusion. ANG II produced an increase in lobar vascular resistance (LVR) that averaged 3.7 +/- 1.1 to 3.0 +/- 0.3 cm H2O/l/min (n = 30), but was not dose-related and exhibited marked tachyphylaxis. In contrast, after INDO, the increase in LVR to ANG II averaged 8.2 +/- 1.0 to 18.4 +/- 2.2 (n = 6) and 5.0 +/- 1.2 to 15 +/- 2.4 cm H2O/l/min after MECLO (n = 6) and both cyclooxygenase inhibitors increased (p less than 0.05) basal vascular tone. Infusion of MB did not alter baseline vascular tone, but prevented the tachyphylaxis to ANG II. Our results indicate that tachyphylaxis to ANG II-induced vasconstriction in the isolated, blood perfused dog lung lobe is not only reversed by COI, but potentiated and dose-related. Whereas MB diminished tachyphylaxis to ANG II, it failed to potentiate the pressor response to ANG II except with concurrent COI. Our findings suggest that vasodilator cyclooxygenase products are probably more important than EDRF in regulating both vascular tone and reactivity to ANG II in the dog lung.