Bradykinin (trifluoroacetate salt)

Bradykinin is a 9-amino acid peptide that dilates blood vessels and consequently reduces blood pressure by inducing the release of prostacyclin, nitric oxide, and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor.^1,2,3 It also contracts non-vascular smooth muscle in the bronchus and gastrointestinal tract, increases vascular permeability, and is involved in the mechanism of pain mediation.^4,5,6 The discovery of bradykinin-potentiating peptides from snake venom led to the discovery of a class of highly-effective anti-hypertensive drugs, the ACE inhibitors, which have been shown to prevent angiotensin-converting enzyme’s inactivation of bradykinin.⁷

1.Barrow, S.E., Dollery, C.T., Heavey, D.J., et al.Effect of vasoactive peptides on prostacyclin synthesis in manBr. J. Pharmacol.87(1)243-247(1986) 2.Campbell, W.B., Falck, J.R., and Gauthier, K.Role of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids as endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor in bovine coronary ateriesMed. Sci. Monit.7(4)578-584(2001) 3.Ju, H., Venema, V.J., Marrero, M.B., et al.Inhibitory interactions of the bradykinin B2 receptor with endothelial nitric-oxide synthaseJ. Biol. Chem.273(37)24025-24029(1998) 4.Dray, A., and Read, S.J.Future targets to control osteoarthritis painArthritis Res. Ther.9(3)212-225(2007) 5.Figini, M., Emanueli, C., Grady, E.F., et al.Substance P and bradykinin stimulate plasma extravasation in the mouse gastrointestinal tract and pancreasAm. J. Physiol.272G785-G793(1997) 6.Heavey, D.J., Barrow, S.E., Hickling, N.E., et al.Aspirin causes short-lived inhibition of bradykinin-stimulated prostacyclin production in manNature318(6042)186-188(1985) 7.Cushman, D.W., and Ondetti, M.A.Design of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitorsNat. Med.5(10)1110-1113(1999)