Are endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing and contracting factors isoprostanes? Journal Articles uri icon

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abstract

  • The endothelium releases many vasoactive substances, including prostacyclin, nitric oxide and endothelin, in addition to several other factors about which little is known. The latter are referred to as 'endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factors' (EDHFs) and 'endothelium-derived contracting factors' (EDCFs). Although there is much debate about the identities of EDHFs and EDCFs, a prevailing hypothesis is that they are cyclooxygenase-independent metabolites of arachidonic acid and many researchers associate them with free radicals. These properties are shared with isoprostanes. In this article, I compare the properties of EDHFs and EDCFs with those of the isoprostanes and propose novel experiments that might identify isoprostanes as candidate molecules for EDHFs and EDCFs.

publication date

  • February 2002