Block 3 Trans Phys Review Flashcards
Name the layers of vascular blood vessels from outside to inside.
Tunica Externa -> External Elastic Lamina -> Tunica Media -> Internal Elastic Lamina -> Tunica Intima
Explain the anatomical presence and complications of atherosclerosis.
Cholesterol can build up between the tunica intima and tunica media. When this builds up of cholesterol ruptures the tunica intima this may trigger a clotting response and cause a permanent calcification of the cholesterol. This calcification leads to a large near permanent blockage of the blood vessel.
Explain the physiological consequences of atherosclerosis.
At the site of rupture, the clotting can create a thrombus which further blocks blood flow and could potentially break off into the blood and become an embolism. Furthermore, the overall cross-sectional area of the vessel at the location of cholesterol build up will greatly reduce blood flow and increase blood pressure at that location.
What is the benefit of imaging the blood vessel where atherosclerosis is taking place?
The main benefit of imaging the blood vessel where atherosclerosis has taken place is that it can help identify which cholesterol build ups are too far gone and which ones are treatable. As long as either a thick cap or thin cap of endothelial cells exist to separate the cholesterol from the lumen of the vessel treatment can be administered. Likewise by imaging the plaque formation certain components like calcified tissue and necrotic cores can help determine whether or not the patient has other risk factors, needs monitoring, or if some treatment is now unavailable.
What are risk factors that can be found within the build up of plaque in atherosclerosis?
Necrotic core, TCFA or thin cap fibroatheroma, Spotty Calcification, and/or remodeling of the vessel, all indicate a high likelihood of rupture.
What is the danger of allowing a plaque formation like that found in atherosclerosis to continue growing?
Once any blockage of a blood vessel, plaque or otherwise, reaches 50% size of the lumen the chances of a heart attack increase dramatically. Likewise, in atherosclerosis once plaque formation reaches a size that is around 50% of the lumen the growth of the plaque formation increases substantially.
What are some potential imaging techniques that can be used in the diagnoses and treatment of atherosclerosis?
Coronary CT, Carotid Ultrasound, Brachial Artery Reactivity Testing, Myocardial Perfusion Imaging, and Invasive Vascular Imaging.
What are techniques used to measure the physiological response of a vessel with atherosclerosis?
Flow-Mediated Dilation, Hyperemic Flow, Myocardial Perfusion Imaging, and both invasive and noninvasive Fractional Flow Reserve.
Coronary CT
Using an Xray machine you can identify areas of calcification. However, by using computer tomography along with an injection of dye it is possible to get much better imaging.
Carotid Ultrasound
A carotid ultrasound involves using ultrasound near the carotid artery to identify increases in intima media thickness. This technique works very well for vessels near the skin but not as well for more embedded vessels.
Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography
Injection of a radioactive substance can image the blood vessel. By then furthering exercising the target location and comparing it at rest you can determine location and severity of the blockage.
Invasive Vascular Imaging
A camera is inserted directly into the vessel.
- Intravascular Ultrasound
- Optical Coherence Tomography
Brachial Artery Reactivity Testing
At sites of plaque build up nitric oxide release is needed to offset blood flow lost by the blockage.
- Flow Mediated Brachial Artery Dilation
Temporarily cutting off blood flow causes a delayed endothelial response in which they release nitric oxide. This measures the reactivity of the endothelial cells, if the reactivity is low this is a high-risk factor.
Flow independent Brachial Artery Dilation
Rather than cutting off blood supply an injection of nitroglycerin is administered instead.
Hyperemic Velocity
Measure of the speed of dilation.
Myocardial Infusion Testing
Rather than measure individual artery perfusion you instead measure the pre and post concentration of oxygen surrounding a target organ and the difference can be used to determine how impeded the blood vessel is.
Fractional Flow Reserve
The ratio between blood that can move through a vessel with a stenosis versus the blood flow of a vessel without a stenosis.
- This determines the percentage loss of blood flow caused by the stenosis.
- It is the max flow during exercise that is used for fractional flow reserve.
What is a normal Fractional Flow Reserve Value?
Anything greater than 0.80. The lower the FFR the higher the likelihood of cardiovascular disease.
Describe inotropy through the lens of someone attempting to understand heart failure.
Inotropy is the strength of contraction, it is influenced by the amount and affinity of calcium within the myocyte. The more calcium and the more affinity for calcium on troponin C then the higher the amount of inotropy.
What are current therapies that target inotropy specifically?
Digoxin – Improves Ventricular Filling but does not increase survival.
Calcium Sensitizer Levosimendan – Binds Troponin C when calcium is high.
cAMP Mediated Inotropic Stimulation
PDE Inhibitors
What is Omecamtiv Mecarbil?
Omecamtiv Mecarbil is a cardiac myosin activator that was tested as a potential heart failure medication. The idea behind the medication was that by strongly binding the myosin head with actin a stronger crossbridge can be formed and therefore a stronger contraction.
What was found in the mouse models of the Omecamtiv Mecarbil? Human model?
Omecamtiv Mecarbil was found to increase force generation at low calcium levels but increased the time it took to detach myosin from actin. In human models however, any beneficial effect provided by the medication was submaximal and hindered overall heart rate and diastolic filling.
What are the three tubes used for collecting blood and how do you obtain them?
Red – No Chelator used to obtain serum for chemical analysis.
- The plasma and RBC clot
Purple – EDTA is administered which is an irreversible chelator and prevents all clotting used to obtain RBC counts.
Blue – Sodium Citrate which is a reversible chelator is used to test coagulation by preventing plasma from coagulating.
Describe the elastic and compliant properties of Arteries, Arterioles, and Veins.
Arteries have low compliance and but are able to stretch to some degree but also have capabilities to bounce back.
Arterioles are the main site of resistance it has a decreased radius without being in parallel and also has innervated smooth muscle.
Veins are more compliant and easier to stretch at low pressures but at extremely high pressures lose the ability to be compliant.
What is the significance of cross-sectional area and velocity?
If cross sectional area decreases velocity must increase because it has to maintain blood flow.
Mnemonics for remembering what factors cause vasoconstriction and vasodilation.
Vasoconstriction
- NEAE Near Gq G alpha P GAP PL-C Police Police called because PIP2 PP peepee exposed get arrested and much show them your ID IP3 and Dag, you are salty so it raises calcium
o Near the Gap you expose your PP and the police ID you and you are salty about it
Vasodilation
- EAP Eat eating food gives you Gs G alpha s Gas too much gas you want to turn on AC, eat too much you go to fat cAMP camp exercise so you vasodilate
o Eating to much food gives you gas and makes you want to turn on the AC but you have to go to fat camp where you exercise and increase blood flow.
- Nitric Oxide NO no Guanylyl cyclase GC Game cube No gamecube cGMP can’t game multiplayer because no gamecube in PKG package no gaming so relax vasodilation
o No gamecube so can’t play multiplayer game because its not in its packaging so may as well relax.
What happens if you increase the production of cAMP and cGMP in smooth muscle?
The smooth muscle relaxes and as a result produce a decrease in the strength of the contraction.
NEAE
Norepinephrine
Epinephrine
Angiotensin II
Endothelin-1
EAP
Epinephrine
Adenosine
PG
What is a myogenic response?
Increasing transmural pressure causes an increase vascular smooth muscle constriction.
What is the only endothelial local promoter that promotes contraction?
ET-1 or endothelin