Mechanism of Adrenomedullin-induced Relaxation in Isolated Canine Retinal Arteries

Purpose: To analyze the mechanism of action of adrenomedullin (AM), a peptide recently isolated from human pheochromocytoma, in isolated canine central retinal arteries and to compare the action of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CCRP).

Methods: Changes in isometric tension were recorded in helical strips of the arteries with and without the endothelium.

Results: Both AM and CGRP produced relaxation: EC50s were 2.62 and 0.71 x 10(-9) mol/l, respectively, and maximal relaxations were 85.1% and 84.3%, respectively. The AM-induced relaxation was endothelium-independent and unaffected by indomethacin, Ng-nitro-L-arginine, methylene blue, and glibencaalmide. Treatment with [8-37] CGRP markedly inhibited the relaxations caused by AM and CGRP. Treatment with a high concentration of sodium nitroprusside abolished the relaxation caused by nitroglycerin and atrial natriuretic peptide and reduced the relaxation caused by AM and CGRP. A high concentration of beraprost, a stable analog of prostaglandin I2, suppressed the response to AM and CGRP but not to nitroglycerin.

Conclusions: Endothelium-independent relaxations to AM of canine retinal arteries may be mediated primarily by intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate by stimulation of CGRP1 receptors and partially by cyclic guanosine monophosphate; cyclic guanosine monophosphate is unlikely ot be produced by methylene blue-sensitive soluble guanylate cyclase. Prostanoids, nitric oxide, and adenosine triphosphate-dependent K+ channel opening do not appear to be involved in the AM-induced relaxation.