Lack of vascular hyporesponsiveness to the L-type calcium channel activator, Bay K 8644, in rats with cirrhosis.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: In cirrhosis, the mechanism(s) for vascular hyporesponsiveness to vasoconstrictors such as, alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonists, vasopressin and angiotensin II, are unclear. Moreover, vascular reactivity to substances such as L-type calcium channel activators is unknown. METHODS: Thus, pressor dose-response curves to vasoconstrictors [phenylephrine (an alpha 1-agonist, 0.1-500 micrograms/kg) angiotensin II (10-500 ng/kg), vasopressin (0.01-5 IU/kg), and Bay K 8644 (an L-type calcium channel activator, 0.5-50 micrograms/kg)] were obtained in normal rats and in rats with secondary biliary cirrhosis. All experiments were performed in ganglionic-blocked animals to limit the influence of cardiovascular reflexes. Doses of vasoconstrictor necessary to obtain a 40 mmHg increase in arterial pressure (D40) were calculated. RESULTS: Compared to normal animals, rats with cirrhosis had significantly higher D40 values for angiotensin II (171 +/- 57 vs. 344 +/- 41 ng/kg), phenylephrine (2.6 +/- 0.2 vs. 26.4 +/- 10.7 micrograms/kg) and vasopressin (73 +/- 19 vs. 401 +/- 150 mU/kg). Pressor responses to Bay K 8644 did not differ between normal rats and rats with cirrhosis (8.8 +/- 0.9 vs. 10.5 +/- 2.1 micrograms/kg). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, this study shows that cirrhosis produces vascular hyporeactivity to phenylephrine, vasopressin and angiotensin II but not to Bay K 8644. Therefore, cirrhosis impairs certain constrictor mechanisms which are shared by phenylephrine, angiotensin II and vasopressin but which do not contribute to the vascular response to Bay K 8644.