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Potassium depolarization of adrenergic varicosities in resistance arteries from SHR and WKY rats. Blood Vessels 1983;20(1):23-33

Date

01/01/1983

Pubmed ID

6821708

DOI

10.1159/000158456

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0020686707 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   9 Citations

Abstract

We characterized the function of adrenergic nerve varicosities in mesenteric resistance arteries from spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats by observing contractile responses to depolarization with a high potassium solution (HiK). Intact rings of resistance arteries were mounted in a specialized muscle chamber for measurement of circumferential contractile forces. Contractile responses to exogenous norepinephrine (NE), to HiK, and to the combination of NE plus HiK were significantly greater in SHR compared to WKY vessels. Using either phentolamine or 6-hydroxydopamine-treated vessels to eliminate a neurogenic adrenergic response, we determined that a part of the HiK-induced contraction was due to NE released from nerve varicosities (i.e., the adrenergic component). In order to compare these adrenergic components for possible nerve-related differences, they were first normalized to their maximum exogenous NE responses. This normalized adrenergic component of SHR vessels (52 and 58% for phentolamine and 6-hydroxydopamine treatment, respectively) was significantly greater than that of the WKY vessels (35 and 37%). This greater adrenergic component could reflect either a greater vascular smooth muscle sensitivity to NE in arteries from SHR or an increase in NE concentration, or both.

Author List

Whall CW Jr, Havlik RJ, Halpern W, Bohr DF

Author

Robert Havlik MD Chair, Professor in the Plastic Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Animals
Hydroxydopamines
Hypertension
Muscle Contraction
Muscle, Smooth, Vascular
Neuromuscular Depolarizing Agents
Norepinephrine
Phentolamine
Potassium
Rats
Rats, Inbred Strains
Rodent Diseases