Correlated electrical and mechanical responses of isolated rabbit pial arteries to some vasoactive drugs.

Abstract

Simultaneous measurements were made of spike activity and perfusion pressure (PA) in intact segments of rabbit middle cerebral artery in vitro. The segments were mounted on a Teflon tube designed so that the perfusing solution flowed in the annular space between the tube and the artery wall, thus magnifying the PA changes occurring when the artery constricted or dilated. A widened portion of the Teflon tube immobilized 1--2 mm of the artery segment for electrical recording with fine glass microelectrodes. Spontaneous spike activity (extra- and intracellular) was regularly observed. When a steady PA and spike discharge was obtained, tests were performed by substituting for the normal perfusion liquid, solutions containing 5 microgram/ml norepinephrine, 5 microgram/ml angiotensin II or 7.5 microgram/ml isoproterenol. Norepinephrine and angiotensin each increased spike frequency (+ 293 and + 126%) and PA (+ 6.6 and + 7.9 mm Hg) whereas isoproterenol decreased spike frequency (-89%) and PA (-22.9 mm Hg). These results a) confirm the presence of receptors to these agents in pial arteries, and b) demonstrate a high degree of correlation between membrane electrical events and mechanical activity of these spontaneously-active myovascular cells.