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1 Perinatal Research Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2S2, Canada; and 2 Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, University of Manchester, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester M13 0JH, United Kingdom
The mechanisms underlying vascular
adaptations in pregnancy remain to be fully elucidated. One of the
contributory mechanisms for reduced vascular tone may be a reduction of
myogenic tone. Myogenic tone was assessed as the difference between
internal diameter in the presence and absence of external calcium at
different intramural pressure steps (60-100 mmHg). Myogenic
responses were reduced in resistance-sized mesenteric and main uterine
arteries in late pregnant compared with nonpregnant C57BL/6J mice. In
vessels from pregnant, but not nonpregnant mice, the myogenic response was enhanced by preincubation with nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor
NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester,
was further elevated by the gap junction inhibitor 18-
glycyrrhetinic acid, but was unaltered by the prostaglandin H synthase
inhibitor meclofenamate. Endothelium removal enhanced myogenic
tone only in the vessels from pregnant animals, thus confirming the
role of the endothelium in modulating myogenic tone in pregnancy. These
results suggest that endothelium-derived NO as well as gap junction
communications modulate myogenic tone in mouse pregnancy.
vascular tone; endothelium; mesenteric arteries; uterine arteries
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