Endothelium Dependent Dilation
Endothelium Dependent Dilation - Related Videos
06:20
Imaging Leukocyte Adhesion to the Vascular Endothelium at High Intraluminal Pressure
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Cited by 22 •
2011
This is a method to visualise leukocyte adhesion to the endothelium in harvested pressurised vessels. The technique enables studying vascular adhesion under shear flow with differing intraluminal pressures up to 200 mmHg thus mimic-ing the pathophysiological conditions of high blood pressure.
05:53
Intraluminal Drug Delivery to the Mouse Arteriovenous Fistula Endothelium
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Cited by 5 •
2016
After puncturing the aorta through the inferior vena cava (IVC) to create an aorto-caval fistula in the mouse, solution containing a drug is infused into the IVC via the same needle, followed by incubation. This method enables more robust drug delivery to the venous endothelium compared to the external route.
09:47
Measurement of Endothelium-Dependent Vasorelaxation in the Mouse Thoracic Aorta Using Tensometric Small Volume Chamber Myography
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Cited by 1 •
2022
The present protocol describes the concepts and technical application of the tensometric myograph technique using a multi-chamber myograph system in the experimental ex vivo assessment of mouse aortic endothelial function.
06:35
Ultrasound Assessment of Endothelial Function: A Technical Guideline of the Flow-mediated Dilation Test
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Cited by 56 •
2016
The flow mediated dilation (FMD) test is the most commonly utilized, non-invasive, ultrasound assessment of endothelial function in humans. Although the FMD test has been related with the prediction of future cardiovascular disease and events, it is a physiological assessment with many inherent confounding factors that need to be considered.
01:30
Cardiomyopathy II: Dilated Cardiomyopathy
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2025
Dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM, is a progressive myocardial disorder characterized by ventricular chamber dilation and contractile dysfunction.EtiologyVarious factors can cause DCM, including hypertension and heavy alcohol intake, which contribute to the weakening and enlargement of the heart muscle. Viral infections, such as Coxsackievirus B, adenoviruses, and influenza, can lead to DCM by causing inflammation and damage to heart tissue. Certain chemotherapeutic agents, including daunorubicin,...
FAQs
After endothelial nitric oxide is released, it diffuses into the underlying vascular smooth muscle and activates guanylyl cyclase. This activation increases cyclic GMP, a signaling molecule that promotes muscle relaxation and vessel widening. The sequence links an endothelial signal to the mechanical change measured during vascular assessment and explains why nitric oxide is central to this response.
Increased blood flow produces shear stress, a mechanical force acting on endothelial cells, whereas specific agonists provide a chemical stimulus. Both conditions can prompt endothelial nitric oxide production, allowing the vessel to translate either a flow-related or agonist-related signal into smooth-muscle relaxation. The initiating stimulus therefore matters when interpreting the resulting dilation.
A diminished response can signal vascular dysfunction because it indicates that the vessel is not widening normally after endothelial stimulation. Reduced dilation is associated with hypertension, diabetes, and atherosclerosis, and it may help identify cardiovascular risk. The result is therefore useful as a functional indicator of vascular health rather than merely a measurement of vessel size.
Nitric oxide provides the communication step between endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle. Its diffusion to smooth muscle and activation of guanylyl cyclase connect endothelial stimulation with increased cyclic GMP and relaxation. If this signaling sequence produces less dilation, the finding can reflect impaired endothelial function within the vessel response being studied.
Flow-mediated dilation assesses endothelial function by examining how much a vessel widens after blood flow increases. The response depends on endothelial signaling to underlying smooth muscle, so the measured change serves as a functional readout rather than simply an anatomical description of vessel size. Clinicians and researchers can use this response to characterize vascular health.
The assessment is especially relevant in conditions associated with reduced dilation, including hypertension, diabetes, and atherosclerosis. In these settings, the vascular response may help identify cardiovascular risk or characterize vascular dysfunction. This makes endothelial testing useful for connecting a physiological vessel response with clinically important disease contexts and for evaluating vascular health in medical research.