Abstract
To evaluate the potential role of the endothelium in cocaine-mediated potentiation of serotonin-induced contractions of fetal ovine umbilical artery. Umbilical cords were isolated from near-term pregnant ewes (approximately 140 days). Serotonin-induced--dose-dependent contraction of the umbilical arteries was performed in the presence and absence of 3 mumol/L cocaine. The responses were compared before and after removal of the endothelium. Cocaine (3 mumol/L) potentiated serotonin-induced contractions in the endothelium-intact ovine fetal umbilical arteries and shifted the concentration-response curve to the left (median effective concentration: 2.69 +/- 0.11 --> 1.23 +/- 0.14 mumol/L, P < .01). The maximum response expressed as a percentage of maximum KCl was also significantly increased (167.4 +/- 12.8 --> 216.2 +/- 16.7, P < .05). Removal of the endothelium abolished the potentiation by cocaine of serotonin-induced contractions (median effective concentration: 1.35 +/- 0.12 --> 1.51 +/- 0.21 mumol/L, P > .05). The maximum responses were also the same (201.8 +/- 14.3 --> 206.4 +/- 16.5). The result suggest that, in ovine fetal umbilical arteries, cocaine-mediated potentiation of serotonin-induced contractions is endothelium dependent.
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