Traumatic brain injury disrupts cerebrovascular tone through endothelial inducible nitric oxide synthase expression and nitric oxide gain of function.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been reported to increase the concentration of nitric oxide (NO) in the brain and can lead to loss of cerebrovascular tone; however, the sources, amounts, and consequences of excess NO on the cerebral vasculature are unknown. Our objective was to elucidate the mechanism of decreased cerebral artery tone after TBI.

Methods and results

Cerebral arteries were isolated from rats 24 hours after moderate fluid‐percussion TBI. Pressure‐induced increases in vasoconstriction (myogenic tone) and smooth muscle Ca2+ were severely blunted in cerebral arteries after TBI. However, myogenic tone and smooth muscle Ca2+ were restored by inhibition of NO synthesis or endothelium removal, suggesting that TBI increased endothelial NO levels. Live nativ

SUBMITTER: Villalba N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4338739 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature