Endothelium-dependent arterial vasoconstriction after balloon angioplasty.

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Abstract
To determine whether balloon angioplasty can provoke arterial vasoconstriction independent of platelet aggregation and neurogenic input, we studied the spontaneous vasomotor effects of balloon dilatation in isolated, perfused whole-vessel segments of rabbit aorta and pig carotid artery. Freshly dissected rabbit thoracic aortas were mounted in a muscle bath-perfusion chamber, perfused with physiologic saline solution at 70 mm Hg, and allowed to equilibrate. The proximal or distal half of the aortas were dilated with either a "large" (5 mm, 31-51% stretch beyond relaxed diameter) or a "small" (4 mm, 5-16% stretch) balloon angioplasty catheter with the other half of the vessel serving as the control. A similar series of experiments were performed in pig carotid arteries using "large" (6 or 8 mm, 48-90% stretch) balloon catheters. The spontaneous vasomotor effects of balloon angioplasty were examined with long-axis, high-frequency ultrasonic imaging combined with computerized edge detection image processing t...