Differentiation of mechanical forces in perfused artery

Abstract

BackgroundMechanical forces in the blood vessel can be biophysically observed in the forms of stretch due to distention of surrounding muscle and shear stress due to drag force generated by the blood flow. We report here a novel approach to distinguish these two forces.Methods and ResultsAorta of an adult mouse is isolated and cleaned from connective tissues. The aorta, which is to be perfused, is then submerged freely in phosphate buffer saline solution or placed inside a capillary tubing. The aorta inside the capillary tube has very limited room for stretching or expanding by the perfusate pressure. Our data shows that the changes in cytosolic calcium are much more prolonged in freely‐placed than in capillary‐enclosed aortas. The perfuse‐induced calcium signal can be inhibited by apyrase more substantially in freely‐placed than in capillary‐enclosed aortas.ConclusionDifferent forms of mechanical forces may be physiologically impossible to differentiate in vivo because of the complex nature of the vascular system and its surrounding tissue. Here, we are introducing a new setup that allows us to distinguish the mechanical force of stretching and shear stress in an ex vivo study.