Differential effects of u-37883a, a vascular selective k+atp channel antagonist, in the pulmonary and hindlimb vascular bed of the cat. Dewitt, Bracken J., David Y. Cheng, Timothy J. McMahon, James R. Marrone, Hunter C. Champion, and Philip J. Kadowitz. Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
APStracts 3:0128L, 1996.
The effects of the vascular selective nonsulfonylurea guanidine K+ATP channel-blocking agent, U-37883A, on vasodilator and vasoconstrictor responses were investigated in the pulmonary and hindlimb vascular bed of the cat. Under elevated-tone conditions, both U-37883A and the sulfonylurea K+ATP antagonist, glybenclamide, attenuated pulmonary vasodilator responses to the K+ATP channel openers without altering responses to vasodilator agents that are reported to act by K+ATP -independent mechanisms. However, under low resting-tone conditions, U-37883A enhanced pulmonary vasoconstrictor responses to the thromboxane mimic, U46619, and to PGF2[alpha] and PGD2, whereas glybenclamide antagonized responses to U46619 and the vasoconstrictor prostaglandins. In the hindlimb vascular bed, U-37883A and glybenclamide had no effects on responses to U46619 in doses that inhibited vasodilator responses to the K+ATP channel opener, levcromakalim. U-37883A and glybenclamide had no significant effect on baseline tone in the pulmonary or hindlimb vascular bed, and neither U-37883A nor glybenclamide altered pulmonary vasodilator responses to PGE1. The results of the present investigation show that U-37883A and glybenclamide, agents which are used in the study of vascular smooth muscle K+ATP channel mechanisms and attenuate vasodilator responses to the K+ATP channel openers, have pronounced effects on thromboxane/prostaglandin receptor-mediated vasoconstrictor responses in the pulmonary vascular bed of the cat.

Received 13 November 1995; accepted in final form 24 July 1996.
APS Manuscript Number L325-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Lung Cell. Mol.
Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 21 August 1996