Extracellular nucleotides induce vasodilatation in human arteries via prostaglandins, nitric oxide and endothelium-derived hyperpolarising factor.
1. The present study was aimed at examining P2 receptor-mediated vasodilatation in human vessels. The isometric tension was recorded in isolated segments of the human left internal mammary artery branches precontracted with 1 muM noradrenaline. 2. Endothelial denudation abolished the dilator responses. 3. The selective P2Y1 agonist, 2-MeSADP, induced a potent vasodilatation (pEC50=6.9plusminus0.1)