K_ATP channel-dependent electrical signaling links capillary pericytes to arterioles during neurovascular coupling.

ABSTRACT: The brain has evolved mechanisms to dynamically modify blood flow, enabling the timely delivery of energy substrates in response to local metabolic demands. Several such neurovascular coupling (NVC) mechanisms have been identified, but the vascular signal transduction and transmission mechanisms that enable dilation of penetrating arterioles (PAs) remote from sites of increased neuronal activity are unclear. Given the exponential relationship between vessel diameter and blood flow, tight control of arteriole membrane potential and diameter is a crucial aspect of NVC. Recent evidence suggests that capillaries play a major role in sensing neural activity and transmitting signals to modify the diameter of upstream vessels. Thin-strand pericyte cell bodies and processes cover around 90% of the

SUBMITTER: Isaacs D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11648664 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature