The in vivo effects of human urotensin II in the rabbit and rat pulmonary circulation: Effects of experimental pulmonary hypertension

In vivo haemodynamic responses to human urotensin-II were determined in two models of pulmonary hypertension: rabbits with left ventricular dysfunction following coronary artery ligation and the hypoxic rat. Effects were also examined in the presence of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME). Human urotensin-II increased pulmonary arterial pressure to a greater extent in ligated rabbits than their controls and l-NAME increased pulmonary pressure without significantly affecting these responses to human urotensin-II. Human urotensin-II raised right ventricular pressure slightly in control rats but not in hypoxic rats. Human urotensin-II did not constrict control rat isolated small pulmonary arteries and only induced a small constriction of these vessels in hypoxic rats. In conclusion, exogenous human urotensin-II exerts pulmonary pressor responses in vivo in rabbits and also induced small pulmonary pressor responses in control rats. Pulmonary pressor responses to urotensin-II were increased by pulmonary hypertension in rabbits but not in rats.