Mechanisms underlying arginine vasopressin-induced relaxation in monkey isolated coronary arteries

Objective The present study was undertaken to examine whether arginine vasopressin (AVP) relaxes primate coronary artery and to analyse the mechanisms of its action in reference to endothelial nitric oxide and AVP receptor subtype. Methods Isometrical tension responses to AVP and desmopressin were recorded in isolated monkey coronary arteries. Results AVP (10(-9) to 10(-7) mol/l) induced a concentration-related relaxation; endothelium-denudation abolished the response. Treatment with N-G-nitro-L-arginine, but not the D-enantiomer, abolished the endothelium-dependent relaxation, which was restored by L-arginine, Treatment with SR49059 and [Pmp(1),Tyr(Me)(2)]-Arg(8)-vasopressin, selective inhibitors of V-1 receptor subtype, attenuated the relaxant response to AVP, whereas the relaxation induced by sodium nitroprusside was not affected by SR49059. Desmopressin, a V-2 receptor agonist, up to 10(-8) mol/l did not elicit relaxation. Conclusions it is concluded that AVP-induced monkey coronary arterial relaxation is mediated via nitric oxide synthesized from L-arginine in association with stimulation of V-1 receptor subtypes in the endothelium, J Hypertens 1999, 17:673-678 (C) Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.