Effect of Electrolytes on Arterial Muscle Contraction

The effect of specific electrolyte changes and of desoxycorticosterone on the responsiveness of vascular smooth muscle to epinephrine was studied using rabbit aortic strips. Low sodium increases, while high sodium decreases the epinephrine response. Conversely, low potassium decreases, while high potassium increases the epinephrine response. Desoxycorticosterone potentiates the epinephrine response in a manner qualitatively similar to that of high potassium, but different from that of low sodium potentiation.