title: Investigation of postmortem functional changes in human cerebral arteries.
abstract: This study demonstrated the time-dependent changes in postmortem responses of isolated human middle cerebral artery strips to vasodilators. The relaxation induced by prostaglandin (PG) I2 or nitroglycerin remained stable for 24 h postmortem. In arterial strips precontracted with PGF2 alpha, substance P and bradykinin both elicited relaxation that was almost completely abolished by removal of the endothelium. The endothelium-dependent response to both peptides was significantly degraded in strips obtained > 12 h postmortem. These results indicate a selective functional or anatomical vulnerability of the vascular endothelium compared with that of the vasodilator mechanisms of the smooth muscle in the postmortem period. However, cerebral arteries isolated from human cadavers within 12 h postmortem should be adequate for studies of both smooth muscle and endothelial reactivity to vasodilators.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Onoue
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaito
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tokudome
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tashibu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagashima
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D001920:Bradykinin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013373:Substance P / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D013373:Substance P; D011464:Epoprostenol; D005996:Nitroglycerin; D001920:Bradykinin