Influence of endothelin on piglet cerebral microcirculation

The purpose of this study was to determine responses of the newborn pig cerebral microcirculation to endothelin. Pial arterioles were observed directly using a closed cranial window in chloralose-anesthetized piglets. Topical application of endothelin derived from porcine endothelial cells produced increases in pial arteriolar diameter at the lowest concentration (0.1 ng/ml) (159 +/- 6 to 180 +/- 8 microns) and concentration-dependent decreases in pial arteriolar diameter at higher concentrations (141 +/- 6, 127 +/- 5, and 110 +/- 4 microns at 1, 10, and 100 ng/ml, respectively). Indomethacin (5 mg/kg iv) and aspirin (50 mg/kg iv) blocked dilator responses to endothelin and attenuated constrictor responses. Endothelin produced concentration-dependent increases in cortical periarachnoid cerebrospinal fluid levels of 6-ketoprostaglandin (6-keto-PG) F1 alpha, PGE2, PGF2 alpha, and thromboxane B2. Thus endothelin can produce either dilation or constriction of cerebral arterioles in newborn pigs, depending on concentration. Furthermore, prostanoids appear to mediate vasodilation induced by the lowest concentration of endothelin and contribute to constriction induced by higher concentrations of endothelin.