title: Cerebral veins: fluorescence histochemistry, electron microscopy, and in vitro reactivity.
abstract: Pial veins, choroid plexus veins, and the cerebri magna vein were investigated with regard to their ultrastructural organization, adrenergic nerve supply, and in vitro reactivity. The vessel walls consisted of a continuous layer of endothelial cells, large amounts of collagenous material, and occasional pericytes. Smooth muscle cells were observed only in a few specimens from the cerebri magna vein. All veins were surrounded by adrenergic nerve fibres. Potassium (124 mM) and noradrenaline (10(-5) - 10(-4) M) induced small contractions (0.2-0.5 mN) of isolated veins during in vitro conditions. The magnitude of these responses was less than one-tenth of that obtained in small pial arteries.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects*; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014666:Vasomotor System / Q000187:drug effects; D014680:Veins / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D011188:Potassium; D009638:Norepinephrine