Comparative responses to endothelin 2 and sarafotoxin 6b in systemic vascular bed of cats

Cardiovascular responses to endothelin 2 (ET-2) and sarafotoxin 6b (S6b) were investigated in the cat. ET-2 (0.1-1 nmol/kg iv) decreased or elicited biphasic changes in arterial pressure (AP), whereas S6b (0.1-1 nmol/kg iv) only decreased AP. Central venous pressure (CVP), cardiac output (CO), and pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) were increased. ET-2 produced biphasic changes in systemic vascular resistance (SVR), whereas S6b decreased SVR at the two lower doses and caused a biphasic change at the 1 nmol/kg dose. The effects of ET-1 and ET-2 were similar, whereas the effects of S6b were similar to ET-3. ET-2 and S6b had small effects on right ventricular contractile force and caused transient increases in heart rate. Distal aortic blood flow was increased in response to all doses of both peptides, whereas increases in carotid blood flow were observed only in response to the higher doses of ET-2 and S6b. ET-2 produced dose-dependent decreases in superior mesenteric artery (SMA) blood flow, whereas decreases in SMA flow in response to S6b were observed only at the 1 nmol/kg dose. Renal blood flow was decreased significantly only at the higher doses of ET-2 and S6b. The present data show that ET-2 and S6b can produce both vasodilation and vasoconstriction in the systemic and regional vascular beds of the cat and demonstrate previously unrecognized vasodilator activity in response to S6b. It is concluded that ET-2 and S6b produce complex cardiovascular responses in the anesthetized cat.