Myogenic tone and neurogenic vasoconstriction in microcirculatory bed of rat cerebral cortex.

The reaction of rat parietal cortical vessels to stimulation of the sympathetic ganglion was studied by intravital microscopy. stimulation induced constriction of cerebral arterioles. Clamping of one or both carotid arteries led to myogenic vasodilatation in the majority of cases. Constrictive response of brain arterioles to ganglion stimulation under conditions carotid occlusion did not differ from that under conditions of baseline cerebral blood supply.