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Heat‐induced contraction of blood vessels
Author(s) -
Gorisch Wolfram,
Boergen KlausPeter
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
lasers in surgery and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1096-9101
pISSN - 0196-8092
DOI - 10.1002/lsm.1900020101
Subject(s) - contraction (grammar) , biophysics , chemistry , medicine , anatomy , biology
Heat‐induced spontaneous contraction of blood vessels as observed during the application of surgical lasers was investigated experimentally. By means of extra‐vascular irrigation of veins and arteries from the rabbit mesentery in vivo with saline that had been preheated to varying temperatures in the range of 45–90°C, the temperature dependence on contraction was evaluated. It was demonstrated that lower temperature thresholds of approximately 70°C and 75°C exist for the shrinkage of veins and arteries, respectively. Ultrastructural investigation of the walls of contracted and of noncontracted vessels indicates that vessel contraction correlates with the denaturation of collagen fibrils. It was therefore concluded that the well‐known heat shrinkage effect of denatured collagen accounts for the heat‐induced vessel constriction. It is shown that on heat‐induced permanent occlusion, vessels of the type that were examined cannot be achieved reliably at temperatures of up to 90°C for 16 sec; in most cases relaxation takes place.