AJP - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, Vol 251, Issue 3 520-H527, Copyright © 1986 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

Modulation of endothelium-dependent responses by chronic alterations of blood flow

V. M. Miller, L. L. Aarhus and P. M. Vanhoutte

To determine whether the blood flow and O2 tension to which a blood vessel is chronically exposed could modulate endothelium-dependent responses, these parameters were altered in the dog either by causing partial occlusion of the femoral artery or by creating a fistula between the femoral artery and vein. Blood flow was reduced by 75% in the clamped artery; mean arterial pressure was unchanged. In the vessels proximal to the fistula, blood flow was elevated and O2 tensions were similar in the vein and artery. After 6 wk the femoral arteries and veins were excised, and their endothelium-dependent responses were studied in vitro. The endothelium-dependent relaxations to acetylcholine, adenosine diphosphate, and alpha 2-adrenergic stimulation were augmented in fistula-operated compared with sham-operated arteries. The responses to these agents in the clamp-operated vessels were not different from those of the sham-operated ones. Relaxation to arachidonic acid in the arteries showed an inverse relationship to blood flow. In the veins proximal to the fistula, the endothelium-dependent relaxations to acetylcholine were augmented and an endothelium-dependent relaxation to alpha 2-adrenergic stimulation was present; only a contractile response was observed in veins from the sham-operated limb in response to the latter. These studies suggest a pattern of increased endothelium-dependent relaxation in vessels exposed to chronically elevated blood flow.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Yan, A. Huang, G. Kaley, and D. Sun Chronic high blood flow potentiates shear stress-induced release of NO in arteries of aged rats Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, November 1, 2007; 293(5): H3105 - H3110. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. D. Searles Transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, November 1, 2006; 291(5): C803 - C816. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C.-F. Lam, T. E. Peterson, D. M. Richardson, A. J. Croatt, L. V. d'Uscio, K. A. Nath, and Z. S. Katusic Increased blood flow causes coordinated upregulation of arterial eNOS and biosynthesis of tetrahydrobiopterin Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, February 1, 2006; 290(2): H786 - H793. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Ma, C. I. Kahwaji, Z. Ni, N. D. Vaziri, and R. E. Purdy Effects of simulated microgravity on arterial nitric oxide synthase and nitrate and nitrite content J Appl Physiol, January 1, 2003; 94(1): 83 - 92. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. T. Yang, M. H. Laughlin, and R. L. Terjung Prior exercise training increases collateral-dependent blood flow in rats after acute femoral artery occlusion Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, October 1, 2000; 279(4): H1890 - H1897. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Lavrencic, B. G. Salobir, and I. Keber Physical Training Improves Flow-Mediated Dilation in Patients With the Polymetabolic Syndrome Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., February 1, 2000; 20(2): 551 - 555. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Hashimoto, K. Shinozuka, Y. Tanabe, S. Gamoh, T. Hara, M. S. Hossain, Y. M. Kwon, M. Kunitomo, and S. Masumura Hypotension induced by exercise is associated with enhanced release of adenyl purines from aged rat artery Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, March 1, 1999; 276(3): H970 - H975. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. R. Woodman, J. M. Muller, J. W. E. Rush, M. H. Laughlin, and E. M. Price Flow regulation of ecNOS and Cu/Zn SOD mRNA expression in porcine coronary arterioles Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, March 1, 1999; 276(3): H1058 - H1063. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. L. Parker, M. L. Mattox, and M. H. Laughlin Contractile responsiveness of coronary arteries from exercise-trained rats J Appl Physiol, August 1, 1997; 83(2): 434 - 443. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Nadaud, M. Philippe, J.-F. Arnal, J.-B. Michel, and F. Soubrier Sustained Increase in Aortic Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression In Vivo in a Model of Chronic High Blood Flow Circ. Res., October 1, 1996; 79(4): 857 - 863. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				N. Inoue, S. Ramasamy, T. Fukai, R. M. Nerem, and D. G. Harrison Shear Stress Modulates Expression of Cu/Zn Superoxide Dismutase in Human Aortic Endothelial Cells Circ. Res., July 1, 1996; 79(1): 32 - 37. [Abstract] [Full Text]