[Effect of prostacyclin on the cerebral vessels and its pharmacological modification]

The ability of prostacyclin to relax human brain arteries contracted by different vasotropic agents has been investigated. Prostacyclin relaxation effect was less marked in atherosclerotically damaged vessels. Nifedipine was demonstrated to potentiate relaxation effect of prostacyclin at the level of sarcolemmal calcium transport, while cavinton and dipyridamole had an analogous influence, redistributing calcium in the intracellular stores. The potentiating effect of these drugs was also less pronounced in affected vessels, which might be connected to the depression of transport ATPase activity in the vascular smooth muscle cells.