Influence of vessel size on the sensitivity of porcine coronary microvessels to nitroglycerin

TL;DRAbstract

The responses of small (60-100 microns), medium (101-190 microns), and large (191-300 microns) porcine coronary microvessels to nitroglycerin were examined in vitro using a video-imaging apparatus. Large coronary microvessels, preconstricted with acetylcholine, relaxed by 90% in response to nitroglycerin, whereas small microvessels relaxed only 20% to nitroglycerin. Responses to putative metabolites of nitroglycerin, S-nitrosocysteine, and nitric oxide, were also examined. S-Nitrosocysteine produced equal relaxations in all sizes of coronary microvessels. Nitric oxide was 10 times more potent in large coronary arteries than in small but produced greater than 90% relaxation of all sizes of coronary microvessels at the highest concentrations. Bradykinin and the calcium ionophore A23187, which release endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF), produced similar relaxation in small, medium, and large microvessels. The compound LY 83583 (which depletes vascular guanylate cyclase) reduced re

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