Regional heterogeneity in the reactivity of equine small pulmonary blood vessels

Regional differences in large equine pulmonary artery reactivity exist. It is not known if this heterogeneity extends into small vessels. The hypothesis that there is regional heterogeneity in small pulmonary artery and vein reactivity to sympathomimetics (phenylephrine and isoproterenol) and a parasympathomimetic (methacholine) was tested using wire myography on small vessels from caudodorsal (CD) and cranioventral (CV) lung of 12 horses [9 mares, 3 geldings, 8.67 ± 0.81 (age ± SE) yr, of various breeds that had never raced]. To study relaxation, vessels were precontracted with U46619 (10(-6) M). Methacholine mechanism of action was investigated using L-nitroarginine methylester (L-NAME, 100 μM) and indomethacin (10 μM). Phenylephrine did not contract any vessels. Isoproterenol relaxed CD arteries more than CV arteries (maximum relaxation 28.18% and 48.67%; Log IC50 ± SE -7.975 ± 0.1327 and -8.033 ± 0.1635 for CD and CV, respectively, P < 0.0001), but not veins. Methacholine caused contraction of CD arteries (maximum contraction 245.4%, Log EC50 ± SE -6.475 ± 0.3341), and relaxation of CV arteries (maximum relaxation 40.14%, Log IC50 ± SE -6.791 ± 0.1954) and all veins (maximum relaxation 50.62%, Log IC50 ± SE -6.932 ± 0.1986) in a nonregion-dependent manner. L-NAME (n = 8, P < 0.0001) and indomethacin (n = 7, P < 0.0001) inhibited methacholine-induced relaxation of CV arteries, whereas indomethacin augmented CD artery contraction (n = 8, P < 0.0001). Our data demonstrate significant regional heterogeneity in small blood vessel reactivity when comparing the CD to the CV region of the equine lung.