[Role of arteriolar heterogeneity on the development of the organ response of the vasculature of the skeletal muscles of the rat to constrictor stimuli].

A correlation was found between the initial relative thickness of vascular wall and the extent of vasoconstriction in response to standard stimulation of sympathetic strings. The distribution of vessels within the wall was comprised in mathematical model which estimated interrelationships among three variables: pressure perfusate expenditure and a conventional dose of vasoconstricting agent. The model revealed that intense vasoconstrictory responses entailed a decrease in the number of functioning vessels. When perfusing the rat hindlimbs with a constant expenditure in maximal vasoconstriction, the number of functioning microvessels decreased by 46 +/- 11.9%.