The physiological response to a chronically failing heart is the implementation of compensatory mechanisms intended to support blood pressure. These mechanisms, which are not fully understood, increase peripheral vascular tone, thus increasing the strain on the weakened myocardium. This study investigated the structure and function of small arteries from heart failure patients and controls without heart failure in an attempt to identify abnormalities associated with heart failure which may be related to these mechanisms. Small arteries were dissected from gluteal biopsies and studied using wire myography. Arterial morphological parameters were measured and concentration–response curves constructed for a number of vasoconstrictor and vasodilator agonists. Plasma concentrations of neuroendocrine hormones were also measured. There were no morphological differences between small arteries from control subjects and those from patients with chronic heart failure. In heart failure patients, vasoconstrictor responses to endothelin-1 were significantly reduced, although plasma endothelin-1 levels were increased. Arteries from heart failure patients also showed evidence of an impaired neuronal uptake mechanism, since blockade by cocaine had no effect on noradrenaline-induced vasoconstriction in these vessels. These results suggest that small-artery structure is not altered in chronic heart failure and so cannot account for the heightened vascular resistance in this syndrome. However, abnormal neuronal uptake and impaired vasoconstriction in response to endothelin-1 may be associated with the complex compensatory phenomenon involved in heart failure.
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Research Article|
November 15 1999
Structural and functional assessment of small arteries in patients with chronic heart failure
C. HILLIER;
*Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow G4 0BA, Scotland, U.K.
Correspondence: Dr Chris Hillier (e-mail [email protected]).
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P. J. COWBURN;
P. J. COWBURN
†MRC Clinical Research Initiative in Heart Failure, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, U.K.
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J. J. MORTON;
J. J. MORTON
†MRC Clinical Research Initiative in Heart Failure, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, U.K.
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H. J. DARGIE;
H. J. DARGIE
†MRC Clinical Research Initiative in Heart Failure, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, U.K.
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J. G. F. CLELAND;
J. G. F. CLELAND
†MRC Clinical Research Initiative in Heart Failure, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, U.K.
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J. J. V. MCMURRAY;
J. J. V. MCMURRAY
†MRC Clinical Research Initiative in Heart Failure, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, U.K.
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J. C. McGRATH
J. C. McGRATH
†MRC Clinical Research Initiative in Heart Failure, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, U.K.
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
May 07 1999
Revision Received:
July 23 1999
Accepted:
September 10 1999
Online ISSN: 1470-8736
Print ISSN: 0143-5221
The Biochemical Society and the Medical Research Society © 1999
1999
Clin Sci (Lond) (1999) 97 (6): 671–679.
Article history
Received:
May 07 1999
Revision Received:
July 23 1999
Accepted:
September 10 1999
Citation
C. HILLIER, P. J. COWBURN, J. J. MORTON, H. J. DARGIE, J. G. F. CLELAND, J. J. V. MCMURRAY, J. C. McGRATH; Structural and functional assessment of small arteries in patients with chronic heart failure. Clin Sci (Lond) 1 December 1999; 97 (6): 671–679. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/cs0970671
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