Impaired Conduction of Vasodilation Along Arterioles in Connexin40-Deficient Mice

ABSTRACTConnexins have been hypothesized to play an important role in intercellular communication within the vascular wall and may provide a mechanistic explanation for conduction of vasomotor responses. To test this hypothesis, we studied the transmission of vasomotor responses in the intact skelet...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Circulation research 2000-03, Vol.86 (6), p.649-655
Main Authors: de Wit, Cor, Roos, Frederik, Bolz, Steffen-Sebastian, Kirchhoff, Susanne, Krüger, Olaf, Willecke, Klaus, Pohl, Ulrich
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acetylcholine - pharmacology
Animals
Arterial hypertension. Arterial hypotension
Arterioles - drug effects
Arterioles - physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Blood and lymphatic vessels
Blood Pressure - physiology
Bradykinin - pharmacology
Cardiology. Vascular system
Connexins - deficiency
Connexins - physiology
Experimental diseases
Gap Junction alpha-5 Protein
Medical sciences
Mice
Potassium - pharmacology
Vasodilation - physiology
Vasodilator Agents - pharmacology
Vasomotor System - physiology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:ABSTRACTConnexins have been hypothesized to play an important role in intercellular communication within the vascular wall and may provide a mechanistic explanation for conduction of vasomotor responses. To test this hypothesis, we studied the transmission of vasomotor responses in the intact skeletal muscle microcirculation of connexin40-deficient mice (Cx40). Arterioles were locally stimulated with hyperpolarizing dilators (acetylcholine [ACh] as well as bradykinin [Bk]) or depolarizing K solution, and the resulting changes in diameter were measured using a videomicroscopy technique at the site of application and up to 1.32 mm upstream. Arterial pressure was elevated 25% in Cx40 mice (94±5 versus 75±4 mm Hg). Vessels selected for study had equivalent basal diameter and vasomotor tone in both genotypes of mice. Vasomotion was present in small arterioles of both genotypes, but its intensity was exaggerated in Cx40 mice. ACh and Bk induced dilation (33% and 53%, respectively, of maximal response) at the site of application that was of similar magnitude in both genotypes. These dilations were observed to spread upstream within
ISSN:0009-7330
1524-4571
DOI:10.1161/01.res.86.6.649