ObjectiveTo investigate the regulatory roles and changes of M3 receptor subtype in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-preincubated rabbit pulmonary arteries, and assess the mechanism of altered vascular reactivity in septic shock. MethodsPulmonary arteries with intact endothelium were isolated from 26 male New ealand white rabbits weighing 2.0 to 2.5kg. he isolated pulmonary arteries were randomized into two grouops, including a normal group with normal saline and darifenacin adminstration, and an endotoxin group with LPS-preincubation and darifenacin adminstration.he response of arteries to phenylephrine (100μmol/L) and acetylcholine(ACH)(1μmol/L, 10μmol/L, 100μmol/L)were measured in normal and darifenacin-preincubated circumstances. ResultsThe percentages of ralaxation to ACH (1μmol/L, 10μmol/L, 100μmol/L) were (0.095±0.034)%, (0.150±0.036)%, and (0.445±0.090)% in the normal group, and (0.044±0.016)%, (0.093±0.029)%, (0.311±0.028)% in the endotoxin (LPS 4μg/mL, 4h) group. After pretreatment with M3 receptor antagonist darifenacin on different concentrations, the EC50 values responding to ACH (1μmol/L, 10μmol/L, 100μmol/L) were 1.483, 2.757, 2.958 in the normal group, and 6.015, 6.242, 6.411 in the endotoxin group. After pretreatment with M3 receptor antagonist darifenacin on different concentrations, the inherent activity of a value to ACH (1μmol/L, 10μmol/L, 100μmol/L) were 0.0146, 0.0323, 0.0825 in the normal group, and 0.0124, 0.0245, 0.0556 in the endotoxin group. ConclusionsLPS pre-incubation can reduce the relaxation response to ACH, and M3 receptor subtypes mediated this relaxation response. LPS also reduce the M3 receptor subtype intrinsic activity, which may be one of the mechanisms of decreased relaxation response to ACH in pulmonary arteris after LPS pretreatment, and also one of the mechanisms of pulmonary hypertension in septic shock.