Intravenous administration of
platelet-activating factor (PAF) produces dose-dependent
hypotension in several species. We have evaluated a recently developed PAF antagonist,
SRI 63-441, for its ability to inhibit the hypotensive effect of PAF in the rat and dog. In the rat, 100 ng/kg PAF produced a 38.6 +/- 5.1% decrease in carotid mean arterial pressure (MAP), followed by a 3.2 +/- 0.7 min recovery period for MAP to return to baseline values.
SRI 63-441 reduced the
hypotension response in the rat, where the ED50 values for inhibition of MAP were 0.16 mg/kg i.v. and 0.19 mg/kg i.v. for the recovery period. Dogs challenged with 1.5 micrograms/kg PAF i.v. demonstrated a 52 +/- 8% decrease in MAP that persisted for at least 15 min. The ED50 for inhibition of MAP by
SRI 63-441 was 0.20 mg/kg i.v. Following injection of
tritium-labeled
SRI 63-441, 56.8 +/- 2.4% of the dose was recovered in the urine and 43.2 +/- 8.9% in the feces in the rats while in dogs 38.7 +/- 5.6% and 60.9 +/- 23.5% of the dose was excreted in the urine and feces, respectively. In the rat model of
endotoxin-
induced hypotension,
SRI 63-441 given 1 min after a 5 mg/kg
endotoxin challenge (which produced a 52 +/- 7% decrease in MAP), reversed the systemic effects, with an ED50 of 0.18 mg/kg i.v. The ED50 for reversal 6 min after
endotoxin injection was 0.01 mg/kg. These results of inhibition and reversal by
SRI 63-441 strongly implicate PAF as a pivotal mediator of
hypotension and
shock.