Actions of vasoactive drugs on human placental vascular smooth muscle

1. The effect of different vasoactive agents on segments of human chorionic arteries and veins was analyzed. 2. The order of these agents to produce maximal contractile responses was: 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) = histamine (H) = K+ greater than noradrenaline (NA) greater than or equal to phenylephrine (PHEN) greater than clonidine (CLON), and with regard to their potencies (EC50 values) was: 5-HT greater than or equal to NA greater than or equal to H greater than PHEN greater than CLON greater than K+. Dopamine and isoproterenol did not elicit any type of response. 3. The receptors involved on the contractions elicited by agonists were analyzed. 4. The results obtained suggest that: (1) 5-HT is the most potent vasoconstrictor agent of all those tested, whose effects appear to be mediated by 5-HT2- but not by alpha 1-adrenergic receptors; (2) chorionic vessels also possess H1-receptors; and (3) ketanserin has more affinity to block 5-HT2-receptors than to block alpha 1-adrenergic- and H1-receptors.