Postobstructive pulmonary vasculopathy (POPV) is produced by chronic ligation of one pulmonary artery and results in bronchial collateral vessel proliferation and pulmonary arterial abnormalities. The role of endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor peptide, was investigated in a canine model of POPV using radioimmunoassay and immunohistochemistry. The left main pulmonary artery of 9 dogs was ligated, and 3 months (n = 3) and 15 months (n = 6) later, ET-1 levels were measured by radioimmunoassay of plasma samples from left and right pulmonary arteries and veins. In addition, tissues from control and ligated lungs were fixed in Bouin’s solution embedded in paraffin and stained with antiserum to ET-1. Plasma ET-1 levels distal to the ligation were not different from those of the control pulmonary artery (1.7 pg/ml in the ligated lungs vs. 1.4 pg/ml in the controls; NS). ET-1-like immunoreactivity was localized mainly to the epithelium in both control and ligated lungs, but the pulmonary arteries and the new bronchial vessels stained more intensely in the ligated lungs. The sections immunostained with ET-1 antiserum preab-sorbed with synthetic ET-1 did not stain. These results suggest that ET-1 may play a role in the bronchial neovascularization and the pulmonary arterial thickening characteristic of POPV.
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug. Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.