Does the Endothelium Abolish or Promote Arterial Vasomotion in Rat Mesenteric Arteries? Explanations for the Seemingly Contradictory Effects

Abstract

Background and Aims: Vasomotion consists in cyclic oscillations of the arterial diameter induced by the synchronized activity of the smooth muscle cells. So far, contradictory results have emerged in the literature about the role of the endothelium in the onset and maintenance of vasomotion. Here our aim is to understand how the endothelium may either abolish or promote vasomotion. Methods and Results: We investigate rat mesenteric arterial strips stimulated with phenylephrine (PE). Our results show that the endothelium is not necessary for vasomotion. However, when the endothelium is removed, the PE concentration needed to induce vasomotion is lower and the rhythmic contractions occur for a narrower range of PE concentrations. We demonstrate that endothelium-derived relaxing products may either induce or abolish vasomotion. On the one hand, when the strip is tonically contracted in a nonoscillating state, an endothelium-derived relaxation may induce vasomotion. On the other hand, if the strip displays vasomotion with a medium mean contraction, a relaxation may induce a transition to a nonoscillating state with a small contraction. Conclusion: Our findings clarify the role of the endothelium on vasomotion and reconcile the seemingly contradictory observations reported in the literature.

Journal

Journal ID (publisher-id): JVR

Journal ID (nlm-ta): J Vasc Res

Journal ID (doi): 10.1159/issn.1018-1172

Title: Journal of Vascular Research

Publisher: S. Karger AG

ISSN (Print): 1018-1172

ISSN (Electronic): 1423-0135

Publication date Subscription-year: 2008

Publication date (Print): August 2008

Publication date (Electronic): 09 April 2008

Volume: 45

Issue: 5

Pages: 416-426

Affiliations

^aLaboratory of Cell Biophysics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, and ^bDepartment of Zoology and Animal Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Article

Publisher ID: 124283 Other ID: J Vasc Res 2008;45:416–426

DOI: 10.1159/000124283

PubMed ID: 18401180

Copyright statement: © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel

License:

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Page count

Figures: 6, References: 35, Pages: 11

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Categories

Subject: Research Paper