Differential Pattern of Endothelin-1-Induced Inotropic Effects in Right Atria and Left Ventricles of the Human Heart

In human right atrium, endothelin A (ETA) receptors couple to both inositol phosphate formation and inhibition of adenylylcyclase, whereas in human left ventricle, ETA receptors couple only to inositol phosphate formation. To find out whether this might be of functional relevance, we studied, in right atria obtained from 32 patients undergoing coronary bypass grafting without apparent heart failure, and in right atria and left ventricles from eight patients with end-stage heart failure (NYHA IV) undergoing heart transplantation, the effects of endothelin-1 (ET-1) on basal force of contraction or on force of contraction increased by 1 μM forskolin. ET-1 (0.1 μM) exerted a positive inotropic effect in atrial and ventricular tissue; this could be antagonized by the ETA-receptor antagonist BQ 123, but not by the ETB-receptor antagonist BQ 788. In atrial, but not in ventricular tissue, this positive inotropic effect was preceded by a transient negative inotropic effect. This negative inotropic effect was inhibited by BQ 123, but not by BQ 788. It was significantly prolonged in forskolin-prestimulated atria, and was significantly larger in atria from failing hearts. We conclude that, because ET-1 inhibits adenylylcyclase and causes negative inotropic effects in atria but not in ventricles, adenylylcyclase inhibition might be responsible for the transient negative inotropic effect of ET-1.