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The effect of progesterone on isolated rabbit coronary arteries and its possible mechanism was investigated by measuring changes of isometric tension. Progesterone (1, 3, 10 and 30 microM) induced significant coronary relaxation in K+ (30 mM)-, prostaglandin F2 alpha (3 microM)- or Bay K 8644 (1 microM plus 15 mM K+)- precontracted arteries. There was no difference between endothelium-intact and -denuded coronary arteries from both male and female rabbits, precontracted with these three agents. Haemoglobin, indomethacin, methylene blue, glibenclamide or barium chloride did not affect the relaxation. In endothelium-denuded rabbit coronary arteries, progesterone shifted calcium concentration-dependent constrictor-response curves to the right, the maximal contraction was also reduced. The -log ED50s were 3.6 in control, and 3.3 and 2.9 after incubation with progesterone (3 and 30 microM), respectively. Similar results were obtained in rat aorta. We conclude that progesterone induces significant endothelium-independent relaxation in rabbit coronary arteries in vitro, possibly by affecting calcium influx.

1. We assessed the relaxant effect of 17 beta-oestradiol (10(-7), 10(-6) and 10(-5) M) on rabbit isolated coronary arteries precontracted with prostaglandin F2 alpha (3 x 10(-6) M), high extracellular potassium (30 mM) and Bay K 8644 (10(-6) M) plus high extracellular potassium (15 mM) by measuring isometric tension. 17 beta-Oestradiol (10(-6) and 10(-5) M) induced significant relaxation in coronary arteries from male and female rabbits. No differences were seen between arteries with or without endothelium. There were also no differences between coronary arteries isolated from male and female rabbits. 2. Inhibitors of endothelium-derived relaxing factor and vasodilator prostanoids, namely, reduced haemoglobin, N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester and indomethacin, did not affect the relaxation induced by 17 beta-oestradiol in endothelium-intact coronary arteries. 3. Methylene blue, an inhibitor of guanylate cyclase, did not affect the coronary artery relaxation induced by 17 beta-oestradiol. 4. The calcium concentration-dependent contraction curve in potassium-depolarization medium was shifted to the right by 17 beta-oestradiol (10(-6) and 10(-5) M) in the rabbit coronary artery and rat aorta. The -log EC50s of calcium in control and after incubation with 17 beta-oestradiol (10(-6) and 10(-5) M) were 3.7 +/- 0.09, 3.1 +/- 0.10 and 2.8 +/- 0.08 respectively in rabbit coronary arteries and 3.8 +/- 0.11, 3.3 +/- 0.14 and 2.9 +/- 0.15 in rat aorta. 5. The results indicate that 17 beta-oestradiol induces rabbit coronary artery relaxation by an endothelium-independent mechanism in vitro. A calcium antagonistic property may be involved in the mechanism of rabbit coronary arterial relaxation by 17beta-oestradiol.