Endothelin-Mediated Vascular Tone following Focal Cerebral Ischaemia in the Cat

The actions of Bosentan and PD155080, non-peptide endothelin receptor antagonists, were examined in feline pial arterioles in situ following middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion to gain insight into the cerebrovascular influence of endogenous endothelins in focal cerebral ischaemia. Immediately following permanent MCA occlusion, all pial arterioles overlying the suprasylvian and ectosylvian gyri displayed marked dilatations, which were maintained in a population of vessels but differentiated into sustained constrictions in others. Perivascular subarachnoid microinjections of Bosentan (30 μ M), PD155080 (30 μ M), and artificial CSF (pH 7.2) were performed between 30 and 210 min following MCA occlusion. The perivascular microapplication of Bosentan (30 μ M) and PD155080 (30 μ M) around pial vessels overlying the suprasylvian and ectosylvian gyri, which are within the territory of the occluded MCA, elicited an increase in the calibre of postocclusion dilated and constricted pial arterioles. The perivascular microapplication of PD155080 (30 μ/ M) around postocclusion constricted arterioles overlying the ectosylvian and suprasylvian gyri elicited an increase in the calibre of arterioles (69 ± 49% from preinjection baseline; n = 8). The perivascular microapplication of Bosentan (30 μ M) around postocclusion constricted arterioles overlying the ectosylvian and suprasylvian gyri also elicited an increase in the calibre of arterioles (68 ± 60% from preinjection baseline; n = 13). In contrast, the microapplication of CSF (pH 7.2) elicited small reductions in pial arteriolar calibre of postocclusion constricted arterioles (—8 ± 13% from preinjection baseline; n = 8). The perivascular microapplication of PD155080 (30 μ M) around postocclusion dilated pial arterioles overlying the ectosylvian and suprasylvian gyri elicited an increase in the calibre of arterioles (11 ± 10% from preinjection baseline; n = 38). The perivascular microapplication of Bosentan (30 μ M) around postocclusion dilated arterioles elicited an increase in the calibre of arterioles (16 ± 15% from preinjection baseline; n = 36). In contrast, the microapplication of CSF (pH 7.2) elicited small reductions in pial arteriolar calibre of postocclusion dilated arterioles (—9 ± 6% from preinjection baseline; n = 44). Perivascular microapplication of Bosentan or PD155080 had minimal effect on the calibre of pial arterioles on the parasagittal gyrus (anterior cerebral artery territory), although these arterioles had also displayed sustained dilatation following MCA occlusion. These results indicate that contractile factors (whose effects can be reversed with endothelin receptor antagonists) constrict or impair dilatation of cortical resistance arterioles in an acute cerebral ischaemic episode.