Endothelin causes contraction of canine and bovine arterial smooth muscle in vitro and in vivo

We have studied the effects of endothelin,an endothelium-derived peptide,on isolated canine and bovine cerebral arteries in vitro and on canine vertebral blood flow (VBF) in vivo.The present data together with our previous study demonstrating that the intracisternal injection of endothelin induces an unusually long-lasting decrease in the basilar artery diameter angiographically,suggests that endothelin may act as a long acting vasoconstictor in cerebral vascular disease.