Population
Arterioles (diameter 47 ± 1 μm, n = 63) supplying blood flow to the cheek pouch of anesthetized hamsters
Comparison
Micropipette delivery of norepinephrine… vs Resting state / baseline
Design
Preclinical
Key result
Micropipette delivery of norepinephrine or phenylephrine produced smooth muscle cell depolarization (5–41 mV) and vasoconstriction (7–49 μm) independent of the endothelium.
Authors
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Supports distinct smooth muscle conduction for adrenergic constriction in arterioles; leaves open translation to human microvascular regulation.
Depolarization and constriction conduct along smooth muscle independently of the endothelium, whereas vasodilation conducts via hyperpolarization along homologously coupled cells, indicating these pathways are not electrically coupled during blood flow control.
Welsh et al. (1998) studied this question. Micropipette delivery of vasoactive agents (NE, PE, KCl, Acetylcholine) was evaluated on Membrane potential and vessel diameter changes. Micropipette delivery of norepinephrine or phenylephrine produced smooth muscle cell depolarization (5–41 mV) and vasoconstriction (7–49 μm) independent of the endothelium.