Role of endothelium and calcium channels in endothelin-induced contraction of human cerebral arteries

Endothelin constricted human isolated cerebral arteries in a concentration-dependent manner. The maximal tension developed, as well as EC50 values were similar in arteries with and without endothelium. Removal of extracellular calcium or addition of the calcium antagonist nicardipine (10(-6)M), attenuated but did not abolish responses to endothelin. These experiments show that the endothelin-induced contraction in human cerebral arteries is not linked to the presence of intact endothelial cells. The data also show that the contractile effects of endothelin cannot be explained solely by an action on voltage-dependent calcium channels.