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Vascular Smooth Muscle Activation Improves Aortic Compliance with Respect to Mechanical Loading

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Abstract

During a pressure rise, the aortic enlargement is followed by an arterial compliance reduction. For elevated pressure levels, vascular smooth muscle (VSM) activation produces an arterial compliance improvement. To better understand this observation, we studied the aortic elasticity function during high pressure states with and without VSM activation. Simultaneous aortic pressure and diameter were measured in conscious dogs. Animals were separated into groups corresponding to different types of VSM activation: PHE group (phenylephrine 5 μg/kg/min, n = 7) and RAS group (renin-angiotensin system stimulation via renal vasoconstriction, n = 7). An arterial biphasic elasticity function was adjusted with a mechanical occlusion intervention. Pressure-diameter loops were compared isobarically between VSM activation and mechanical occlusion. In the PHE group, activation increased aortic distension from 2.6 ± 0.7% to 5.4 ± 1.0% (p < 0.01) and compliance from 0.30 ± 0.07 mm2/mmHg to 0.58 ± 0.11 mm2/mmHg (p < 0.01). Similarly, in the RAS group, aortic distension increased from 4.8 ± 1.5% to 7.4 ± 2.4% (p < 0.05) and compliance from 0.48 ± 0.18 mm2/mmHg to 0.70 ± 0.28 mm2/mmHg (p < 0.05). When VSM activation produces an arterial pressure rise concomitant with an aortic wall contraction, arterial compliance and distension increase with respect to an isobaric mechanical occlusion. The assessment of the aortic geometry helps to explaining the cardiovascular system behavior during acute and chronic high-pressure states.

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Acknowledgments

This work was in part subsidized by the project PIP number 112-200901-00734 (CONICET) and project PICTO 31355 (ANPCyT).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electronics, Favaloro University (FICEN), Av. Belgrano 1723, C.P. 1093, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Damian Craiem, Sebastián Graf & Ricardo Luis Armentano

  2. CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Damian Craiem & Sebastián Graf

  3. Department of Physiological Science, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Juan Gabriel Barra

Authors
  1. Damian Craiem
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  2. Sebastián Graf
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  3. Ricardo Luis Armentano
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  4. Juan Gabriel Barra
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Correspondence to Damian Craiem.

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Associate Editor Ajit P. Yoganathan oversaw the review of this article.

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Craiem, D., Graf, S., Armentano, R.L. et al. Vascular Smooth Muscle Activation Improves Aortic Compliance with Respect to Mechanical Loading. Cardiovasc Eng Tech 3, 80–87 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13239-011-0069-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13239-011-0069-z

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