Amine uptake and metabolism by endothelium of pig pulmonary artery and aorta

The uptake and metabolism of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT) and l-norepinephrine (NE) were measured in endothelial cells of pig pulmonary artery and aorta, as well as in lung slices. Evidence for oxidative deamination and for a saturable uptake mechanism, sensitive to cold, imipramine, and NA+-free medium was obtained for 5HT in lung slices and in the pulmonary as well as in the aortic endothelium, separated from the lumen by absorption to Millipore filters or by exposure to collagenase. For NE, however, a similar type of uptake could be deomonstrated in lung slices only. In the aortic and pulmonary endothelium, NE was metabolized, but its uptake was not influenced by imipramine, Na+-free medium, and high substrate concentration. The aortic and pulmonary endothelium have, therefore, similar properties and exhibit for 5HT, but not for NE, a type of uptake similar to that existing in lung capillaries.