Vascular reactivity to endothelium-derived relaxing factor in human umbilical artery at term pregnancy

It has been reported that human umbilical artery (HUA) at term pregnancy released endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF), using a superfusion bioassay system. However, other reports showed that endothelium-dependent relaxation was not observed in isometric tension studies using HUA ring with intact endothelium. Thus, we intended to clarify whether vascular smooth muscle of HUA at term is sensitive to EDRF. HUA was obtained after normal vaginal delivery or cesarean section at term. Isometric tension studies were performed in normal Krebs solution, using HUA rings or strips, which were prepared in calcium-free Krebs solution. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a nitric oxide (NO) donor drug, relaxed HUA rings precontracted with 0.1 microM 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT) in a dose-dependent manner (1 nM-10 microM). Histamine, substance P, carbachol, or the calcium ionophore A23187, which are considered to be EDRF-releasing agents, did not relax the HUA rings. By immunohistochemical study, it was confirmed that endothelial cells were present in the luminal surface of the HUA rings after the isometric tension recording. In a co-axial bioassay system involving HUA strips denuded of endothelium and rabbit aorta with intact endothelium, HUA strips precontracted with 0.1 microM 5HT were relaxed in response to 1 microM SNP but not 1 microM carbachol, which released EDRF from the endothelium of rabbit aorta. These findings suggest that HUA at term is sensitive to NO but not EDRF.