[Autoregulation of the retinal circulatory system]

Autoregulation plays an important role in the structures of high metabolism, like the brain or the retina. It protects these organs against damaging effects of abnormal blood flow. Specific anatomical and physiological features of these organs play a role in this process. In the retinal autoregulation most important are: 1) endothelium of the capillary vessels and 2) the contractile elements of the vessels' walls. Substances that are secreted by the endothelium can directly modify the function of the local circulation. One of the most important is the endothelium derive relaxing factor (EDRF), which has been identified as endogenous nitrous oxide (NO). We have attempted to systematize current knowledge about the autoregulatory processes in the retina.