Monkey cerebral arterial relaxation caused by hypercapnic acidosis and hypertonic bicarbonate

In helical strips of Japanese monkey cerebral arteries contracted with vasoconstrictors, applications of high CO2 (15% compared with 5% CO2 in control media) and hypertonic NaHCO3 (50 mM) produced relaxations. Similar relaxations were also obtained in human cerebral arterial strips. Hypercapnia increased PCO2 and resulted in acidosis in the bathing media, and the addition of NaHCO3 restored the pH to normal with high PCO2 and increased the osmotic pressure. The relaxant responses were not influenced by endothelium denudation and treatment with indomethacin. The hypercapnia-induced relaxation was suppressed by ouabain but was unaffected by amiloride. On the other hand, hypertonic bicarbonate-induced relaxations were inhibited by ouabain as well as by amiloride. Removal of Na+ from the bathing media abolished the hypercapnia-induced relaxation but did not alter the hyperosmolar relaxation. In contrast to hypertonic NaHCO3, isotonic bicarbonate solutions contracted the arterial strips by neutralizing the pH under hypercapnia. It may be concluded that relaxations elicited by hypercapnic acidosis are associated with a fall of extracellular pH and an activation of the electrogenic Na+ pump, and those caused by hyperosmolarity are due to stimulation of the Na(+)-H+ exchange and the Na+ pump. Endothelium-derived vasoactive substances and cyclooxygenase products do not appear to be involved in these relaxations of monkey cerebral arteries under the experimental conditions used.