Gestational resistance to the pulmonary vasoconstrictor effect of the TxA2 mimetic U-46619: possible mechanism
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1Department of Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo 14215, USA.
Pregnancy is associated with the reduction of vascular sensitivity to vasoconstrictor compounds. We have examined whether pregnancy in rabbits induces hyposensitivity of the pulmonary vascular system to U-46619. Anesthetized, mechanically ventilated nonpregnant (NP; n = 7) and late-pregnant (P; n = 7) rabbits were studied. The intravenous injection of 0.03, 0.1, and 0.3 microgram/kg U-46619 led to a dose-dependent elevation of mean pulmonary arterial pressure (MPAP) in NP rabbits from a baseline value of 15 +/- 1 to 22 +/- 1 mgHg. There was no significant MPAP response to intravenous administration of U-46619 in P rabbits. The pulmonary arterial pressure response of isolated, ventilated, and buffer-perfused lungs of P rabbits was also blunted (P < 0.001 vs. NP). Pulmonary arterial membrane binding of [125I]BOP, another thromboxane (Tx)A2 analog, indicated 48 +/- 16 fmol receptors/mg protein in P rabbits and 193 +/- 48 fmol receptors/mg protein in NP samples (P < 0.025). Receptor affinity [1/dissociation constant (KD)] was also lower in the tissue of P rabbits (P < 0.01 vs. NP). The urinary excretion of the stable TxA2 metabolite 11-dehydro-TxB2 was lower in P than in NP rabbits (P < 0.02), which made homologous desensitization an unlikely explanation for the changes of vascular TxA2 receptors. These results show that, in late gestation, rabbit pulmonary vascular sensitivity to U-46619 is reduced simultaneously with, and as a possible consequence of, downregulation of specific receptors.
Pregnancy is associated with the reduction of vascular sensitivity to vasoconstrictor compounds. We have examined whether pregnancy in rabbits induces hyposensitivity of the pulmonary vascular system to U-46619. Anesthetized, mechanically ventilated nonpregnant (NP; n = 7) and late-pregnant (P; n = 7) rabbits were studied. The intravenous injection of 0.03, 0.1, and 0.3 microgram/kg U-46619 led to a dose-dependent elevation of mean pulmonary arterial pressure (MPAP) in NP rabbits from a baseline value of 15 +/- 1 to 22 +/- 1 mgHg. There was no significant MPAP response to intravenous administration of U-46619 in P rabbits. The pulmonary arterial pressure response of isolated, ventilated, and buffer-perfused lungs of P rabbits was also blunted (P < 0.001 vs. NP). Pulmonary arterial membrane binding of [125I]BOP, another thromboxane (Tx)A2 analog, indicated 48 +/- 16 fmol receptors/mg protein in P rabbits and 193 +/- 48 fmol receptors/mg protein in NP samples (P < 0.025). Receptor affinity [1/dissociation constant (KD)] was also lower in the tissue of P rabbits (P < 0.01 vs. NP). The urinary excretion of the stable TxA2 metabolite 11-dehydro-TxB2 was lower in P than in NP rabbits (P < 0.02), which made homologous desensitization an unlikely explanation for the changes of vascular TxA2 receptors. These results show that, in late gestation, rabbit pulmonary vascular sensitivity to U-46619 is reduced simultaneously with, and as a possible consequence of, downregulation of specific receptors.