Endothelial Cyclic Nucleotides are Unlikely to Regulate EDRF Release

Abstract

Among the various vasoactive substances released by endothelial cells, are two powerful vasodilators: endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) and prostacyclin. Many of the stimuli of EDRF release lead to the simultaneous formation of prostacyclin (Busse,et al., 1985). The mechanism of action of the two autacoids is completely different: EDRF stimulates soluble guanylate cyclase, whereas, prostacyclin activates adenylate cyclase in vascular smooth muscle cells. Endothelial cells also possess adenylate cyclase and soluble as well as particulate guanylate cyclase (Dembinska-Kiec,et al., 1980; Ganz, et al., 1986). This prompted us to investigate in cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAE cells) whether or not: 1) EDRF and prostacyclin increase the cyclic GMP and/or cyclic AMP content of the producing cells themselves and 2) increase in endothelial cyclic nucleotides influences the release of EDRF.