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AUTACOID INTERACTIONS IN THE REGULATION OF BLOOD FLOW IN THE HUMAN PLACENTA
Author(s) -
Gude NM,
King RG,
Brennecke SP
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1440-1681
pISSN - 0305-1870
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1681.1998.tb02280.x
Subject(s) - autacoid , vasoconstriction , placenta , endocrinology , nitric oxide , medicine , angiotensin ii , biology , chemistry , pharmacology , blood pressure , fetus , pregnancy , receptor , genetics
SUMMARY 1. Interactions between autacoids may play important roles in the regulation of blood flow in the foetal placenta. In order to investigate this aspect of placental haemodynamics, human normal‐term placentae were perfused in vitro and the responses of the foetal vessels to various combinations of vasoactive agents were determined. 2. Vasoconstriction responses to 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) were potentiated in the presence of endothelin‐1 (ET‐1), the thromboxane A 2 ‐mimetic U46619 and a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, N ‐nitro‐ l ‐arginine (NOLA), but not in the presence of angiotensin II. 3. N ‐Nitro‐ l ‐arginine caused vasoconstriction of the perfused placenta and indomethacin attenuated this effect and blocked the potentiation of the 5‐HT response by NOLA. 4. Indomethacin did not affect ET‐1‐induced pressure increases and infusion of U46619 had no effect on release of ET‐Iike immunoreactivity into the foetal placental circulation. 5. The present study provides evidence of interactions between several autacoids in human perfused placentae in vitro. These interactions may play important roles in foetal placental haemodynamics in normal or pathological situations.