Research Methods in Life Sciences Commons^™

Maturational Changes In Cerebrovascular Thick- And Thin-Filament Regulation, Renan Joel Sandoval

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The present study focused on the main hypothesis that age-related changes in myofilament Ca²⁺ sensitivity involve simultaneous changes in the relations between cytosolic Ca²⁺ transients, myosin phosphorylation, and force development. To define the effects of late fetal and early postnatal maturation, parallel experiments were carried out using cerebral arteries from both term lamb fetuses (140-141 days of gestation) and nonpregnant adult sheep. Fetal and adult cerebral arteries were stimulated by either mechanically, electromechanically, and/or pharmacomechanically-induced contractions, and the relations of cytosolic Ca²⁺, MLC phosphorylation, and contractile tensions were measured. These measurements allowed for stimulus and age-dependent …