Optimization of resting tension for wire myography in male rat pulmonary arteries

Figures

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  FIGURE 1. Vessel diameters and thickness. (a) Rat heart lung block from which the primary left and right PA branches (indicated by black lines) were removed for the experiments. (b) There was no difference between the wall thicknesses of the vessel segments (n = 8). External (c) and internal (d) diameters of the vessel segments from the right branch were larger than the left. (****p < 0.0001 by unpaired Student's t‐test).

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  FIGURE 2. Maximum contraction response of pulmonary arteries. (a) This figure demonstrates the maximum contractile response of each healthy vessel stretched to a different initial tension. Higher levels of preconstruction lead to an increased number of mechanical vessel failures, most prominent at 15.0 mN. (b) This figure depicts the maximum contractile response observed in rat pulmonary arteries with PAH.

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  FIGURE 3. Phenylephrine dose response in rat pulmonary arteries. (a) Dose response to phenylephrine (PE) relative to the contractile response of the vessel to KCl of healthy pulmonary arteries stretched to low levels of initial tension (0.5, 1.0, and 2.5 mN). (b) Dose response to PE of healthy pulmonary arteries stretched to high levels of initial tension (5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 mN). (c) Dose response to PE of pulmonary arteries from animals with PAH stretched to low levels of initial tension (0.5, 1.0, and 2.5 mN), and (d) dose response to of pulmonary arteries from animals with PAH stretched to high levels of initial tension (15.0, 10.0, 7.5, and 5.0 mN).

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  FIGURE 4. Acetylcholine dose response in rat pulmonary arteries. (a) Dose response to acetylcholine (Ach) of healthy pulmonary arteries stretched to low levels of initial tension (0.5 mN, 1.0 mN, 2.5 mN). (b) Dose response to Ach of healthy pulmonary arteries stretched to high levels of initial tension (5.0 mN, 7.5 mN, 10.0 mN) (c) Dose response to Ach of pulmonary arteries from animals with PAH stretched to low levels of initial tension (0.5 mN, 1.0 mN, 2.5 mN), and (d) dose response to Ach of pulmonary arteries from animals with PAH stretched to high levels of initial tension (15.0 mN, 10.0 mN, 7.5 mN, 5.0 mN).

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  FIGURE 5. Sodium nitroprusside dose response in rat pulmonary arteries. (a) Dose response to sodium nitroprusside (SNP) of healthy pulmonary arteries stretched to low levels of initial tension (0.5 mN, 1.0 mN, 2.5 mN). (b) Dose response to SNP of healthy pulmonary arteries stretched to high levels of initial tension (5.0 mN, 7.5 mN, 10.0 mN) (C) Dose response to SNP of pulmonary arteries from animals with PAH stretched to low levels of initial tension (0.5 mN, 1.0 mN, 2.5 mN), and (d) dose response to SNP of pulmonary arteries from animals with PAH stretched to high levels of initial tension (15.0 mN, 10.0 mN, 7.5 mN, 5.0 mN).