Specific frequency properties of renal and superior mesenteric arterial beds in rats

In order to investigate the effects of arterial beds on pressure waveforms in arteries, the pressure waves observed in the rat tail artery were resolved into their Fourier moduli before and during ligation of the left renal artery and the superior mesenteric artery. Consistently different patterns of waveform changes in the tail artery were seen on occlusion of these vessels. Ligation of the renal artery reduced, and of the superior mesenteric artery increased, the pressure harmonics over most of the spectra. These results imply that to study the changes in the pressure contours as the observation point is moved downstream, one may have to account separately for the contributions of individual arterial beds. This is relevant in considering the degree to which it is appropriate for data to be amalgamated in models of the systemic arterial bed.