title: Evaluation of Endothelial Dysfunction In Vivo.
abstract: Vascular endothelial cells play a major role in maintaining cardiovascular homeostasis. Impairment of physiological properties of the endothelium, such as the promotion of vasodilation and anti-aggregation, leads to a condition called endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial dysfunction is an important early event in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and has been shown to have prognostic value in predicting vascular events including stroke and myocardial infarction.Endothelial-dependent vasodilation is one of the most widely used methods for assessment of endothelial function in rodents. It includes pharmacological stimulation (for example by acetylcholine) of endothelial release of NO and other vasoactive compounds in comparison with vascular response to endothelium-independent dilators such as sodium nitroprusside. However, usually this technique is performed in anesthetized animals. Here we describe a method which allows evaluation of endothelial dysfunction in conscious, freely moving mice and rats.
authors.affiliation: Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Robert Rössle Str. 10, 13125, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Mihail
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Todiras
authors.affiliation: Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Robert Rössle Str. 10, 13125, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alenina
authors.affiliation: Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Robert Rössle Str. 10, 13125, Berlin, Germany. mbader@mdc-berlin.de.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bader
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D009599:Nitroprusside; D000109:Acetylcholine
keywords: Acetylcholine; Blood pressure; Catheter; Endothelial function; Sodium nitroprusside; eNOS