Reoxygenation and calcium-induced cerebroarterial contractions as affected by vasodilator agents

In helical strips of dog cerebral arteries exposed to Ca2+-free medium under hypoxic conditions (95% N2 and 5% CO2), prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha produced a slight tonic contraction. The addition of Ca2+ evoked a phasic contraction followed by relaxation and a sustained contraction, and reoxygenation elicited an additional tonic contraction of moderate magnitude. When the PGF2 alpha-induced contraction was stabilized in Ca2+-free medium, reoxygenation contracted the arteries only slightly. Treatment with the stable PGI2 analogues PGI2 methylester and TRK-100 attenuated the contractions caused by PGF2 alpha and Ca2+ and abolished almost completely the reoxygenation-induced contraction. Treatment with nitroglycerin inhibited the contractions caused by PGF2 alpha and Ca2+, but did not significantly alter the contraction induced by reoxygenation. The Ca2+ entry blockers diltiazem, flunarizine, and felodipine did not alter the PGF2 alpha-induced contractions, but attenuated the contractions caused by Ca2+ and reoxygenation. The vasodilator agents used appear to interfere differently with the release of Ca2+ from intracellularly stored sites and the transmembrane Ca2+ influx through receptor-operated channels under hypoxia and normoxia. The cerebroarterial contraction caused by reoxygenation may be associated mainly with increased Ca2+ influx from receptor activation and tissue oxygenation, which is markedly suppressed by PGI2 analogues and moderately attenuated by Ca2+ entry blockers but not significantly influenced by nitroglycerin.