[The anticonstrictor effect of endothelial sensitivity to shear stress].

Responses of the femoral artery to drops in transmural pressure and to norepinephrine revealed the anticonstrictor effect of the endothelium sensitivity upon a stress action. The effect was less obvious at high flow rate. The data obtained suggests that the endothelium sensitivity to stress inhibits the arterial constrictor responses irrespective of the nature of the constrictor stimuli.