Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 8, 2025
Evaluation of Vascular Control Mechanisms Utilizing Video Microscopy of Isolated Resistance Arteries of Rats
Published on: December 5, 2017
Habu snakes (Protobothrops flavoviridis) show variation in thoracic aortic vasoreactivity between adjacent Japanese
Tomoki Ootawa1,2, Siyuan Wu1, Ryoya Sekio3
1Department of Basic Veterinary Science, Joint Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.
Abstract:
Habu snakes (Protobothrops flavoviridis) are pit vipers found in the geographically adjacent but ecologically divergent islands of Tokunoshima and Amami-Oshima in southwestern Japan. Abiotic factors can cause variation in animal populations between the two islands, and Habu snakes may show such intraspecific physiological variation. We therefore evaluated the vasoreactivity in aortas isolated from the Habu of both islands. Tokunoshima Habu showed significantly greater contractile responses to angiotensin (Ang) II, acetylcholine (ACh) and noradrenaline, and significantly higher affinities (pEC50) for Ang II and ACh, than Amami-Oshima Habu. ACh caused contractions in aortas from both populations, a finding previously unreported in snakes. Our findings indicate that vasoreactivity may differ between Tokunoshima and Amami-Oshima Habu.
