EFFECTS OF CALCIUM-CHANNEL ANTAGONISTS AND PERTUSSIS TOXIN ON NORADRENALINE-INDUCED CONTRACTIONS IN PULMONARY-ARTERY FROM PULMONARY HYPERTENSIVE RATS

The influence of calcium channel antagonists, felodipine and cadmium, as well as pertussis toxin on noradrenaline-induced contractions in pulmonary artery rings from rats with pulmonary hypertension induced by monocrotaline (MCT) were examined. MCT-treated rats had pulmonary hypertension, right ventricular hypertrophy and lung oedema, as compared to corresponding vehicle-treated rats. The MCT-treated animals did not have polycythemia as compared to vehicle-treated rats. Pre-treatment of pulmonary artery rings from MCT-treated rats with felodipine and cadmium significantly reduced the maximum response without altering the EC(50) or the Hill coefficient of concentration-response curve to noradrenaline. In pulmonary artery rings from vehicle-treated rats, felodipine significantly increased the EC(50) and reduced the maximum response and the Hill coefficient of the concentration-response curve to noradrenaline. In contrast, cadmium did not alter these parameters in pulmonary artery rings from vehicle-treated rats. Pertussis toxin did not affect noradrenaline-induced contractions in pulmonary artery rings from vehicle- or MCT-treated rats. Felodipine, cadmium and pertussis toxin were ineffective in inhibiting noradrenaline-induced contractions in aortic rings from either vehicle- or MCT-treated rats. Our results can be interpreted to indicate that alteration to voltage operated, felodipine-sensitive, calcium channels as well as, cadmium-sensitive sites contribute to the changes observed in the functional behavior of pulmonary blood vessels from pulmonary hypertensive rats.