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Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Assessment of Vascular Tone Responsiveness using Isolated Mesenteric Arteries with a Focus on Modulation by Perivascular Adipose Tissues
Published on: June 3, 2019
Label-free optical control of arterial contraction
Myunghwan Choi1, Jonghee Yoon, Chulhee Choi
1Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea.
Femtosecond pulsed laser irradiation noninvasively triggers blood vessel contraction in vivo. This novel technique precisely targets vascular smooth muscle cells, offering a new tool for vascular biology research.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Biology
- Biomedical Optics
- Laser-Tissue Interaction
Background:
- Blood vessel diameter dynamically regulates blood supply, particularly in the brain.
- Current methods lack noninvasive in vivo control over vascular diameter.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of label-free femtosecond pulsed laser irradiation for controlling vascular diameter in vivo.
- To explore the cellular mechanisms underlying laser-induced vascular contraction.
Main Methods:
- Irradiation of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells with femtosecond pulsed lasers.
- In vivo experiments using a murine thinned skull window model.
- Focusing laser irradiation on arterial vessel walls to induce localized contraction.
Main Results:
- Laser irradiation caused a rapid increase in intracellular calcium concentration and contraction in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells.
- Localized vascular contraction was observed in vivo following laser irradiation of the arterial vessel wall, with subsequent recovery.
- The nonlinear properties of femtosecond lasers enabled precise targeting of subcortical vessels without collateral damage.
Conclusions:
- Label-free femtosecond pulsed laser irradiation can induce noninvasive, localized vascular contraction in vivo.
- This technique demonstrates potential as a valuable experimental tool for vascular biology studies.
- Further research may explore applications in modulating blood flow and studying vascular dynamics.
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