Summary: In helical strips of dog middle cerebral arteries partially contracted with prostaglandin (PG) F2a, relax ations induced by angiotensin-II, possibly mediated by PGI2, and those induced by PGH2 were reversed to a contraction or markedly reduced by treatment with he molysate, which, however, attenuated the PGIz-induced relaxation only slightly. The relaxant response of human middle cerebral arterial strips to PGHz was also sup pressed by hemolysate. Dog and monkey middle cerebral arteries responded to transmural electrical stimulation and nicotine with transient relaxations, which were quite susceptible to tetrodotoxin and hexamethonium, respec tively; the relaxations were abolished almost completely by hemolysate and methylene blue. On the other hand, the relaxant response of dog cerebral arteries to a low concentration of K + was not influenced by hemolysate or by methylene blue, but was reversed to a contraction by treatment with ouabain. Relaxations induced by subProlonged cerebral vasospasm after subarach noid hemorrhage evokes severe impairment of local cerebral blood flow, frequently resulting in fatal brain dysfunction. Constituents of erythrocytes and substances produced during the course of hemo lysis of a blood clot appear to play an important role in the genesis of cerebral vasospasm (White, 1983a,b), as injections of autologous blood into ce rebral subarachnoid space provokes angiographic ally verified vasospasm in monkeys, dogs, and rats (Allen and Bahr, 1979; Barry et aI., 1979; Ritchie et aI., 1980), and hemolysate applied in vitro and in situ intensively contracts large cerebral arteries (Osaka, 1977; Ozaki and Mullan, 1979; Toda et aI., 1980). Such an arterial smooth muscle contraction is hypothesized to be associated with vasocon strictor prostaglandins (PGs) liberated from the
46stance-P and nitroglycerin were markedly inhibited by hemolysate; removal of endothelium abolished the relax ation by substance-P, but did not influence the nitroglyc erin-induced relaxation. Hemolysate may interfere with the biosynthesis of PGI2 in the vascular wall, thereby re versing the relaxation induced by angiotensin-II and PGH2 to a contraction. Relaxations induced by electrical and chemical stimulation of vasodilator nerves inner vating cerebral arteries appear to be elicited by a mecha nism dependent on cellular cyclic guanosine monophos phate (GMP), like that underlying the substance-P-in duced and nitroglycerin-induced relaxation. These actions of hemolysate may be involved in the genesis of cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Key Words: Cerebral artery relaxation-Erythrocyte break down products-Prostacyclin-Prostaglandin H2-Va sodilator nerve.