This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Tousoulis, D. Articles by Maseri, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Tousoulis, D. Articles by Maseri, A.

Circulation, Vol 88, 1518-1526, Copyright © 1993 by American Heart Association

ARTICLES

Coronary vasomotor effects of serotonin in patients with angina. Relation to coronary stenosis morphology

D Tousoulis, G Davies, E McFadden, J Clarke, JC Kaski and A Maseri
Cardiovascular Research Unit, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London, England.

BACKGROUND. Previous experimental studies have shown that the effect of serotonin on a coronary stenosis depends on whether that stenosis is compliant or fixed. However, the relation between coronary stenosis morphology and the response to serotonin in patients with angina is not known. METHODS AND RESULTS. Using computerized quantitative coronary angiography, we studied the effects of intracoronary infusion of serotonin on 38 coronary stenoses of different morphologies (concentric, eccentric, complicated) in 11 patients with stable angina and 4 with variant angina. In response to the maximum infused concentration of serotonin, 100% of complicated stenoses and 50% of concentric stenoses constricted by > or = 20% (P < .05). The magnitude of constriction was greater at eccentric stenoses (32.08 +/- 4.1%) than concentric stenoses (15.68 +/- 2.8%, P < .05) and greater in complicated stenoses (57.69 +/- 7.6%, P < .05) than eccentric stenoses. At complicated stenoses, the constriction was greater (0.85 +/- 0.16 mm, P < .05) than at the adjacent reference segments (0.42 +/- 0.12 mm). It was similar to the reference segment for both concentric and eccentric stenoses. The constriction at the stenosis was greater for irregular (complicated) lesions than for smooth (concentric and eccentric) lesions in both patients with stable (51.8 +/- 7.3% versus 22.5 +/- 4.1%, P < .001) and those with variant (77 +/- 17% versus 28.2 +/- 8.1%, P < .05) angina. There was a weak correlation (r = .39) of magnitude of constriction with stenosis length but not with baseline stenosis severity (minimum diameter). CONCLUSIONS. In these patients, the magnitude of the vasoconstrictor response to serotonin at the site of an atheromatous coronary plaque depends on the morphological characteristics of the plaque and is more closely related to irregular contour than stenosis severity or length. This relation suggests that variations in receptor type or density or in the smooth muscle cell response to stimulation may determine the response to locally released serotonin in patients with coronary disease.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. Tousoulis, C. Pitsavos, C. Stefanadis, A. Tanaka, T. Sano, M. Namba, Y. Nishibori, Y. Nishida, T. Kawarabayashi, D. Fukuda, et al. C-Reactive Protein and Lesion Morphology * Response Circulation, March 9, 2004; 109 (9): e153 - e153. [Full Text] [PDF]

				D Tousoulis, G J Davies, C Tentolouris, T Crake, G Goumas, C Stefanadis, and P Toutouzas Effects of L-arginine on flow mediated dilatation induced by atrial pacing in diseased epicardial coronary arteries Heart, May 1, 2003; 89(5): 531 - 534. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D Tousoulis, G J Davies, T Crake, and P C Toutouzas Vasomotion and nitric oxide bioactivity in diseased coronary arteries Heart, April 1, 2002; 87(4): 320 - 321. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D.J Patel, A.H Gomma, C.J Knight, D.A Mulcahy, C.A Wright, H.J Purcell, and K.M Fox Why is recurrent myocardial ischaemia a predictor of adverse outcome in unstable angina?. An observational study of myocardial ischaemia and its relation to coronary anatomy Eur. Heart J., November 1, 2001; 22(21): 1991 - 1996. [Abstract] [PDF]

				D Tousoulis, G J Davies, C Tentolouris, G Goumas, C Stefanadis, and P Toutouzas Vasomotor effects of L- and D-arginine in stenotic atheromatous coronary plaque Heart, September 1, 2001; 86(3): 296 - 301. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D Tousoulis, C Tentolouris, T Crake, G Goumas, C Stefanadis, P Toutouzas, and G Davies Complex stenosis morphology and vasomotor responses to inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis Heart, November 1, 2000; 84(5): 529 - 534. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				D Tousoulis, C Tentolouris, T Crake, C Stefanadis, P Toutouzas, and G Davies Evidence of partially preserved endothelial dilator function in diseased coronary arteries Heart, October 1, 1999; 82(4): 471 - 476. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D Tousoulis, C Tentolouris, T Crake, G Katsimaglis, C Stefanadis, P Toutouzas, and G J Davies Effects of L- and D-arginine on the basal tone of human diseased coronary arteries and their responses to substance P Heart, May 1, 1999; 81(5): 505 - 511. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				C. Palmieri, M. P. R. Sicari, E. Picano, A. Biagini, and M. Marzilli Quantitative Assessment of Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque Profile by Morphometric Analysis of Angiographic Images Angiology, November 1, 1996; 47(11): 1053 - 1059. [Abstract] [PDF]