Control of Vascular Smooth Muscle Flashcards
What are the regulatory mechanisms of vascular smooth muscle?
ANS
Endothelium
What are the layers of the endothelium of the vasculature?
tunica externa
tunica media
tunica intima
what is the tunica externa?
loose connective tissue keeping the vessel together
What is the tunica media?
smooth muscle
What is the tunica intima?
endothelial cells lining the vasculature
What are the features of arteries?
large lumen to facilitate flow
lots of muscle
conduit of blood
What are the features of veins?
limited smooth muscle
60% of the blood when body at rest
capacitors
What are the features of arterioles?
high resistance
fine regulators of blood perfusion
What are the features of capillaries?
no smooth muscle
single layer of epithelium
can’t contract or dilate
What is the approximate BP of capillaries?
2mmHg
How is the amount of blood in the capillary bed regulated?
the precapillary sphincter muscles and small artery and arteriolar resistance
What maintains unidirectional flow in veins?
venous valves
How may drugs influence the blood flow and vessels?
antagonising, blocking, inhibiting endogenous proteins or activating the endogenous proteins
Give an example of drugs that may interact with cell surface receptors
Angiotensin receptor blockers - Losartan
Give an example of drugs that antagonise nuclear receptors
mineralocortocoids receptor antagonist - spironolactone
Give an example of drugs that inhibit enzymes
ACE inhibitors - ramipril
Give an example of drugs that inhibit ion channels
Na Channel Blockers - lidocaine
Give an example of drugs that inhibit transporters
inhibitors of Na-K-2Cl symporter i.e. loop diuretics - furosemide
Give an example of drugs that inhibit signal transduction
Type 5 PDE inhibits - sildefanil
Give examples of how drugs might activate endogenous proteins
enzyme activators - GTNs activate guanylate cyclase
ion channel openers - K channel opener - minoxidil
what is compliance?
rigidity - when a vessel is compliant it is less stiff
what is afterload?
the stretch the l.ventricle undergoes to eject blood into the aorta
what is preload?
the end diastolic volume that stretches the l.ventricle prior to contraction
How might arterial compliance be affected by drugs?
anti-hypertensives - diuretics, ACE inhibitors, b-blockers
hypolipidemic agents - statins
anti-diabetic agents - thiazolidinediones
Treatment of congestive HF - ACE inhibitors, nitrates
What is the pressure wave?
the reflection of pressure back towards the heart at resistance points i.e. when the artery bifurcates
what happens to the pressure wave in patients with poor compliance?
it comes back quicker
what is the consequence of the faster returning pressure wave?
an increase in afterload -> hypertrophy -> heart attack and HF
lower diastole -> poor blood flow to coronary arteries -> ischemia
increased systolic pressue -> risk factor for stroke
how is contraction and maintenance of vascular tone mediated?
increases in IC Ca
Where might calcium be released from?
SR
plasma membrane channels VGCC or ROCC
What does calcium bind to influence contraction?
Ca - Calmodulin -> CaCaM + MLCK
What is the result of calcium-calmodulin binding MLCK?
phosphorylation of myosin
what is the result of myosin phosphorylation?
can bind actin to form actomyosin-P to cause contraction
How might increases in IC Ca cause a further increase in IC Ca?
activation of IP3R or RyRs
What hormones might act to regulate calcium increases?
AngII, NAdr, ET-1