ABSTRACT
Within each organ, the primary site of flow control resides in the vascular segment between arterioles and venules 100 μm in diameter, i.e., microvessels. This chapter discusses the types of experiments best suited for isolated microvessel studies and aims to compare the various procedures and recent modifications of the original techniques. For purposes of the chapter, isolated microvessel experiments have been grouped into the following categories: studies of pressure-induced responses; studies of flow-induced responses; bioassay experiments; pharmacology of microvessels; and electrophysiology of microvessels. Subsequent myogenic studies using isolated microvessels have tested the rate sensitivity of pressure-induced responses, the role of an intact endothelium, and the existence of longitudinal gradients in myogenic responsiveness. The variability in results from different tissues and vessel sizes points to the need for additional studies of flow-induced responses of microvessels under carefully controlled conditions. Isolated microvessel experiments are particularly well suited to pharmacological studies for a number of reasons.
