Abstract
Relaxation of preparations of mammalian arteries by acetylcholine (ACh) requires the presence of endothelial cells (Furchgott & Zawadzki, 1980; Furchgott et al., 1981). It has been demonstrated that ACh stimulates these cells to produce and release a factor that acts on the smooth muscle cells to cause relaxation (Furchgott & Zawadzki, 1980; Furchgott, 1983). This endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) has not yet been identified. Indirect evidence suggests that it may be a free radical (Furchgott et al., 1981) or a very labile aldehyde or ketone (Griffith et al., 1984). Relaxation of arteries by some other vasodilators, including the calcium ionophore A23187, also depends on the release of EDRF (for reviews, see Furchgott, 1983, 1984). In contrast, some vasodilators, such as glyceryl trinitrate, do not require endothelial cells to produce relaxation, but act directly on the smooth muscle cells.
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© 1984 Macmillan Publishers Limited
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Furchgott, R.F., Martin, W., Jothianandan, D., Villani, G.M. (1984). Comparison of endothelium-dependent relaxation by acetylcholine and endothelium-independent relaxation by light in the rabbit aorta. In: Paton, W., Mitchell, J., Turner, P. (eds) IUPHAR 9th International Congress of Pharmacology London 1984. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-17613-7_17
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-17613-7_17
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