Flow Control among Microvessels Coordinated by Intercellular Conduction

Optimal distribution of blood flow requires coordination of vasodilation among resistance vessels. During hyperemia, blood vessels dilate upstream from the initiating stimulus. Spreading vasodilation independent of flow changes has not been previously demonstrated. In the present study, iontophoresi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1986-11, Vol.234 (4778), p.868-870
Main Authors: Segal, Steven S., Duling, Brian R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acetylcholine - pharmacology
Animals
Arterioles
Arterioles - physiology
Biochemistry
Biological and medical sciences
Blood
Blood flow
Blood Flow Velocity
Blood vessels
Blood vessels and receptors
Cell Communication
Cell interaction
Cell interactions
Cheek
Cheek - blood supply
Circulatory system
Cricetinae
Endothelial cells
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Iontophoresis
Microvessels
Nitrates
Oceans
Pipettes
Vascular Resistance
Vasodilation
Vasodilation - drug effects
Vasodilator agents
Vasodilators
Vertebrates: cardiovascular system
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:Optimal distribution of blood flow requires coordination of vasodilation among resistance vessels. During hyperemia, blood vessels dilate upstream from the initiating stimulus. Spreading vasodilation independent of flow changes has not been previously demonstrated. In the present study, iontophoresis of acetylcholine adjacent to single hamster cheek pouch arterioles in situ (diameter, 20 to 37 micrometers) induced a rapid bidirectional dilation that was not attenuated when blood flow was eliminated with vascular occlusion. This finding indicates that a vasodilatory stimulus is conducted along the arteriole and demonstrates the existence of a mechanism of intercellular communication that is capable of coordinating diameter changes among resistance vessels.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.3775368