|
|
||||||||
1 Department of Cell Biology and Physiology and 2 Anesthesiology Research Unit, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110; and 3 Eccles Institute of Human Genetics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112
Resistance in blood vessels is directly related to the inner (luminal) diameter (ID). However, ID can be difficult to measure during physiological experiments because of poor transillumination of thick-walled or tightly constricted vessels. We investigated whether the wall cross-sectional area (WCSA) in cannulated arteries is nearly constant, allowing IDs to be calculated from outer diameters (OD) using a single determination of WCSA. With the use of image analysis, OD and ID were directly measured using either transillumination or a fluorescent marker in the lumen. IDs from a variety of vessel types were calculated from WCSA at several reference pressures. Calculated IDs at all of the reference WCSA were within 5% (mean <1%) of the corresponding measured IDs in all vessel types studied, including vessels from heterozygote elastin knockout animals. This was true over a wide range of transmural pressures, during treatment with agonists, and before and after treatment with KCN. In conclusion, WCSA remains virtually constant in cannulated vessels, allowing accurate determination of ID from OD measurement under a variety of experimental conditions.
lumen; cross-sectional area; resistance
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
J. E. Wagenseil and R. P. Mecham Vascular Extracellular Matrix and Arterial Mechanics Physiol Rev, July 1, 2009; 89(3): 957 - 989. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. Shifren, A. G. Durmowicz, R. H. Knutsen, G. Faury, and R. P. Mecham Elastin insufficiency predisposes to elevated pulmonary circulatory pressures through changes in elastic artery structure J Appl Physiol, November 1, 2008; 105(5): 1610 - 1619. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. E. Wagenseil, R. H. Knutsen, D. Y. Li, and R. P. Mecham Elastin-insufficient mice show normal cardiovascular remodeling in 2K1C hypertension despite higher baseline pressure and unique cardiovascular architecture Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, July 1, 2007; 293(1): H574 - H582. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. J. Jankowski, R. L. Prantil, M. B. Chancellor, W. C. de Groat, J. Huard, and D. A. Vorp Biomechanical characterization of the urethral musculature Am J Physiol Renal Physiol, May 1, 2006; 290(5): F1127 - F1134. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. E. Wagenseil, N. L. Nerurkar, R. H. Knutsen, R. J. Okamoto, D. Y. Li, and R. P. Mecham Effects of elastin haploinsufficiency on the mechanical behavior of mouse arteries Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, September 1, 2005; 289(3): H1209 - H1217. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. W. Kobs, N. E. Muvarak, J. C. Eickhoff, and N. C. Chesler Linked mechanical and biological aspects of remodeling in mouse pulmonary arteries with hypoxia-induced hypertension Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, March 1, 2005; 288(3): H1209 - H1217. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Visit Other APS Journals Online |