title: Vasomotion - what is currently thought?
abstract: This minireview discusses vasomotion, which is the oscillation in tone of blood vessels leading to flowmotion. We will briefly discuss the prevalence of vasomotion and its potential physiological and pathophysiological relevance. We will also discuss the models that have been suggested to explain how a coordinated oscillatory activity of the smooth muscle tone can occur and emphasize the role of the endothelium, the handling of intracellular Ca(2+) and the role of smooth muscle cell ion conductances. It is concluded that vasomotion is likely to enhance tissue dialysis, although this concept still requires more experimental verification, and that an understanding at the molecular level for the pathways leading to vasomotion is beginning to emerge.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, The Water and Salt Centre, Aarhus University, Denmark. ca@fi.au.dk
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aalkjær
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boedtkjer
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Matchkov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000502:physiology; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D002712:Chlorides / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D008638:Mesenteric Arteries / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D014666:Vasomotor System / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; D002118:Calcium