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Cardiovascular Research 1999 41(1):237-245; doi:10.1016/S0008-6363(98)00223-5
© 1999 by European Society of Cardiology
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Copyright © 1999, European Society of Cardiology

On the regulation of tone in vasa vasorum

Ramona Scotland*, Patrick Vallance and Amrita Ahluwalia

Centre for Clinical Pharmacology, The Wolfson Institute of Biomedical Research, University College London, Rayne Institute, 5 University St, London, WC1E 6JJ, UK

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +44-171-209-6606; fax: +44-171-813-2846; e-mail: r.scotland@ucl.ac.uk

Objective: The vasa vasorum form a network of microvessels in and around the walls of large blood vessels and are thought to be necessary to deliver oxygenated blood to the outer parts of the vessel wall that are inadequately nourished by diffusion from luminal blood. This study was undertaken to investigate directly the mechanisms which control tone in the vasa vasorum. Methods: Arterial vasa vasorum were dissected from the walls of porcine or bovine thoracic aorta and mounted in a tension myograph. Concentration-response curves were constructed to vasoconstrictors; endothelin-1(ET-1), noradrenaline (NA) angiotensin II (Ang II) and thromboxane A2-mimetics (U44069 [GenBank] or U46619 [GenBank] ) or vasodilators; substance P (SP) bradykinin (BK), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) or isoprenaline. Strips of porcine aorta were mounted in 25 ml organ baths. Results: Potent concentration-dependent contraction of vasa vasorum was produced by ET-1. NA was a weak constrictor, Ang II had no effect or produced contraction that underwent tachyphylaxis and thromboxane A2-mimetics had no effect. In contrast NA, Ang II, U-44069 and ET-1 all produced potent concentration-dependent contraction of aortic strips. SP and BK produced endothelium-dependent relaxation while CGRP produced endothelium-independent relaxation of ET-1-precontracted vasa vasorum. Isoprenaline had no relaxant effect. Conclusions: We have demonstrated functional responses of arterial vasa vasorum to vasodilators and vasoconstrictors. Additionally these microvessels appear to respond to constrictors differently from the large host vessel.

KEYWORDS Microcirculation; Arteries; Vasoconstriction; Vasodilation; Porcine; Bovine


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