Skip Navigation

European Heart Journal 1989 10(Supplement F):44-48; doi:10.1093/eurheartj/10.suppl_F.44
Copyright © 1989 by the European Society of Cardiology.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Bossaller, C.
Right arrow Articles by Lichtlen, P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Bossaller, C.
Right arrow Articles by Lichtlen, P.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1989 The European Society of Cardiology

Angiographic assessment of human coronary artery endothelial function by measurement of endothelium-dependent vasodilation

C. Bossaller, C. Hehlert-Friedrich, S. Jost, W. Rafflenbeul and P. Lichtlen

Departments of Cardiology, German Heart Institute Berlin and Hannover Medical School F.R.G.

Address for correspondence: Claus Bossaller, German Heart Institute Berlin, Department of Cardiology, Augustenburger Platz 1, D-1000 Berlin 65, F.R.G.

In isolated atherosclerotic human coronary arteries endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation is abolished with acetylcholine whereas another EDRF-dependent vasodilator, substance P, still produces significant relaxation. To study further these in vitro findings, graded doses of acetylcholine and substance P, which produced no systemic effects, were infused into the left anterior descending artery of patients with angiographically moderate coronary artery disease.

The effects of acetylcholine and substance P on LAD diameter were analysed by quantitative angiography. Generally, acetylcholine caused no relaxation but concentration-dependent contractions from 1·67±0·06mm to 1·45±0·09mm (P<0·01), whereas substance P dilated the arteries to 1·89 ±0·10 mm (P<0·01). In contrast, both drugs caused a marked increase in great cardiac vein oxygen saturation, indicating an increase of coronary flow.

The results suggest that the failure of the atherosclerotic epicardial human coronary artery to vasodilate in response to acetylcholine represents a muscarinic endothelial defect. The preserved vasodilation with substance P in the presence of a refractoriness to acetylcholine suggests that atherosclerotic human coronary endothelial cells exposed to appropriate non-muscarinic stimuli are still capable to release EDRF and that atherosclerotic smooth muscle retains a responsive receptor mechanism for EDRF.

Key Words: Endothelium-dependent • vasodilation • human coronary artery • angiography • atherosclerosis


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.