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Updated: May 16, 2026
Mesenteric Artery Contraction and Relaxation Studies Using Automated Wire Myography
Published on: September 22, 2011
Characterization of endothelium-dependent relaxations in the mesenteric vasculature: a comparative study with
Fernando Rivilla1, Susana Vallejo, Concepción Peiró
1Division of Pediatric Surgery, San Carlos University Hospital, Madrid 28040, Spain. lrivilla.hcsc@salud.madrid.org
Background:
Endothelium-dependent relaxations in human adult mesenteric microvessels involve 3 different main mechanisms: cyclooxygenase (COX)-derived prostanoids, nitric oxide (NO), and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF), which elicits vascular smooth muscle hyperpolarization and relaxation. There are some pathological conditions with an abnormal balance between mesenteric vasoconstriction and vasodilatation inputs leading to endothelial dysfunction and tissue injury.
Purpose:
The purpose was to characterize the mechanisms mediating endothelium-dependent relaxation and differences in children and adult mesenteric microvessels.
Methods:
Microvessels were dissected from omentum obtained from children (3-6 years old) and adults (25-41 years old) and mounted as ring preparations in a small vessel myograph.
Results:
In microvessels precontracted with a thromboxane analogue, the endothelium-dependent relaxations to bradykinin (10 nmol/L to 30 μmol/L) mediated by EDHF, that is, nonsensitive to COX (10 μmol/L indomethacin) and NO synthase blockade (100 μmol/L N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester), were higher in children than in adults. When EDHF was blunted by a depolarizing precontraction with KCl, the remaining COX- and NO-dependent relaxations were significantly lower in children.
Conclusions:
The EDHF's role in the endothelium-dependent relaxations is higher in children's vasculature. This suggests that endothelial dysfunction in mesenteric microvessels in children is likely more dependent on EDHF-related mechanisms rather than on NO- or COX-derived prostanoids.
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