Development of Neuroeffector Mechanisms in the Carotid Artery of the Fetal Lamb

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A survey has been made of mechanisms associated with vascular adrenergic neuroeffector transmission in the lamb fetuses between 53 days and term gestation. The common carotid artery was isolated for studies of enzymic activities, uptake of norepinephrine (NE) and reactivity to vasoactive agents. The extra-neuronal NE uptake, monoamine oxidase and catechol-O-methyltransferase activities were present in the carotid artery of the youngest fetuses. The contractile responses to NE and serotonin and neuronal NE uptake preceded the response to adrenergic nerve stimulation during fetal growth. These results suggest that the mechanisms for adrenergic transmitter inactivation, transmitter action on vascular smooth muscle cells, and neuronal transmitter delivery develop in that sequence.

This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit: