• Takayuki Kawakami, Hiromasa Mitsuhata, Jin Saitoh, Haruhiko Takeuchi, Naoki Hasome, Masahiro Hiruta, Yukari Horikawa, and Norimasa Seo.
• Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Jichi Medical School, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Minamikawachi, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan.
• J Anesth. 2003 Jan 1; 17 (1): 22-9.

PurposeThe present study was done to investigate the role of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in hypotension and bronchospasm provoked by anaphylaxis in rabbits in vivo.MethodsForty-five rabbits sensitized to horse serum were randomly allocated to five groups: Group 1 (n = 10) received 0.5 nmol x kg(-1) of ET-1; Group 2 (n = 10) received 0.5 nmol x kg(-1) of ET-1 and 200 nmol x kg(-1) of a selective ETA receptor antagonist, BQ 610, without anaphylaxis; Group 3 (n = 5) received 200nmol x kg(-1) of BQ 610 alone without anaphylaxis, Group 4 (n = 10) received normal saline alone before being antigen challenged to induce anaphylaxis; Group 5 (n = 10) received 200 nmol x kg(-1) of BQ 610 before antigen challenge.ResultsMean arterial pressure (MAP) values were significantly different between Groups 1 and 2. Heart rate (HR), central venous pressure (CVP), dynamic pulmonary compliance (C(dyn)), and pulmonary airway resistance (R(L)) did not differ significantly between Groups 1 and 2. MAP values were significantly decreased compared with baseline in both Groups 4 and 5; however, the values were not significantly different between two groups. CVP values were significantly different between Groups 4 and 5 only at the 15-min time point following antigen challenge. HR, R(L), and C(dyn) values were not significantly different between Groups 4 and 5, nor were the survival rates.ConclusionBQ 610 does not improve hypotension or survival rates in systemic aggregated anaphylactic rabbits in vivo, implying that circulating ET-1 may not play an important role in anaphylaxis, although direct proof of production of circulating ET-1 or activation of ETA receptors is lacking in this study.

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