APStracts 2:0104A, 1995.

Circulating endothelin-1 reduces splanchnic and renal blood flow and splanchnic glucose production in man. Ahlborg, Gunvor, Eddie Weitzberg, Jan M. Lundberg. Departments of Clinical Physiology, Huddinge Hospital, Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Karolinska Hospital and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

APStracts 2:0104A, 1995.

The effect of minimal changes in circulating plasma endothelin, ET-1, was studied in twelve healthy subjects receiving either 60 min of ET -1 (0.2 pmol.kg-1.min-1) or physiological saline intravenously. Blood was drawn from arterial, renal and central hepatic vein catheters. Arterial ET-1 like immunoreactivity, ET-1-LI, increased from 4.7 +/- 0.4 (SEM) to 8.6 +/- 1.0 pmol.l-1 during ET-1 infusion. A 10 min plasma ET-1-LI had increased to 6.12 +/- 0.29 pmol.1-1. For comparison the plasma ET-1-LI level was 12.9 +/- 4.2 pmol l-1 in five patients with sepsis syndrome. Mean arterial blood pressure rose from 92 +/- 3 to 99 +/- 4 mmHg. Estimated splanchnic and renal blood flows (ESBF and ERBF) fell by 18 +/- 5% and 10 +/- 3% and splanchnic glucose production by 42 +/- 6% within 10 min of the ET-1 infusion and differed compared to corresponding control values. Only ESBF had increased sixty min after the ET-1-infusion. No change in splanchnic uptake of lactate or glycerol was seen. In conclusion we suggest that circulating ET-1 with small or no demonstrable change in plasma concentration interferes with vasoactivity and splanchnic glycogenolyses in health and possibly pathophysiological conditions.

Received 13 June 1994; accepted in final form 5 March 1995.
APS Manuscript Number A584-4.
Article publication pending Journal of Applied Physiology.
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 21 March 1995.