Brain arterioles are active, multicellular complexes whose diameters oscillate at ∼ 0.1 Hz. We assess the physiological impact and spatiotemporal dynamics of vaso-oscillations in the awake mouse. First, vaso-oscillations in penetrating arterioles, which source blood from pial arterioles to the capillary bed, profoundly impact perfusion throughout neocortex. The modulation in flux during resting-state activity exceeds that of stimulus-induced activity. Second, the change in perfusion through arterioles relative to the change in their diameter is weak. This implies that the capillary bed dominates the hydrodynamic resistance of brain vasculature. Lastly, the phase of vaso-oscillations evolves slowly along arterioles, with a wavelength that exceeds the span of the cortical mantle and sufficient variability to establish functional cortical areas as parcels of uniform phase. The phase-gradient supports traveling waves in either direction along both pial and penetrating arterioles. This implies that waves along penetrating arterioles can mix, but not directionally transport, interstitial fluids.

During cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the brain becomes ischemic. Adrenaline and vasopressin have been recommended for use during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We aimed to investigate the direct effects of adrenaline and vasopressin on the cerebral microvasculature at baseline and during ischemia and reperfusion in rabbits.
The closed cranial window method was used to visualize the cerebral microcirculation and changes in the pial arteriole diameter in rabbits. Adrenaline and vasopressin were administered topically on the brain tissue. First, the effects of adrenaline and vasopressin on pial arterioles were evaluated in 7 rabbits that were given 4 different concentrations of adrenaline, and another 7 rabbits that received 4 different concentrations of vasopressin. Second, the effects of adrenaline and vasopressin were determined during the global brain ischemia and reperfusion, which was induced by clamping the brachiocephalic, left common carotid, and left subclavian arteries for 15 min. An additional 21 rabbits were randomly assigned to receive artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) (n = 7), adrenaline 10-5 mol/L (n = 7), or vasopressin 10-7 mol/L (n = 7). Each drug was continuously infused from 5 min after the initiation of ischemia until 120 min after reperfusion. The pial arteriole diameters were recorded before and during ischemia, and after reperfusion.
At baseline, adrenaline and vasopressin did not affect the cerebral pial arterioles. During ischemia, vasopressin, but not aCSF and adrenaline constricted the pial vessels. Late in the reperfusion phase, pial diameter became reduced in the vasopressin and aCSF groups whereas pial diameter was higher in the animals treated with adrenaline.
Adrenaline and vasopressin did not affect pial arterioles at baseline. During reperfusion, adrenaline may counteract the cerebral vasoconstriction.

Potassium channels play an important role in the basal tone and dilation of cerebral resistance arterioles in response to many stimuli. However, the effect of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on specific potassium channel function remains unknown. The first goal of this study was to determine the influence of PAE on the reactivity of cerebral arterioles to activation of ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP ) and BK channels. Our second goal was to determine whether oxidative stress contributed to potassium channel dysfunction of cerebral arterioles following PAE.
We fed Sprague-Dawley dams a liquid diet with or without alcohol (3% EtOH) for the duration of their pregnancy (21 to 23 days). We examined in vivo responses of cerebral arterioles in control and PAE male and female offspring (14 to 16 weeks after birth) to activators of potassium channels (Iloprost [BK channels] and pinacidil [KATP channels]), before and following inhibition of oxidative stress with apocynin.
We found that PAE impaired dilation of cerebral arterioles in response to activation of potassium channels with iloprost and pinacidil, and this impairment was similar in male and female rats. In addition, treatment with apocynin reversed the impaired vasodilation to iloprost and pinacidil in PAE rats to levels observed in control rats. This effect of apocynin also was similar in male and female rats.
PAE induces dysfunction in the ability of specific potassium channels to dilate cerebral arterioles which appears to be mediated by an increase in oxidative stress. We suggest that these alterations in potassium channel function may contribute to the pathogenesis of cerebral vascular abnormalities and/or behavioral/cognitive deficits observed in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

H2S is an endogenous gasotransmitter that increases cerebral blood flow. In the cerebral vascular endothelium, H2S is produced by cystathionine δ-lyase (CSE). Endothelin-1 (ET-1) has constrictor and dilator influences on the cerebral circulation. The mechanism of the vasodilation caused by ET-1 may involve endothelium-derived factors. We hypothesize that ET-1-elicited dilation of pial arterioles requires an elevation of H2S production in the cerebral vascular endothelium. We investigated the effects of ET-1 on CSE-catalyzed brain H2S production and pial arteriolar diameter using cranial windows in newborn pigs in vivo. H2S was measured in periarachnoid cerebrospinal fluid. ET-1 (10-12-10-8 M) caused an elevation of H2S that was reduced by the CSE inhibitors propargylglycine (PPG) and β-cyano-l-alanine (BCA). Low doses of ET-1 (10-12-10-11 M) produced vasodilation of pial arterioles that was blocked PPG and BCA, suggesting the importance of H2S influences. The vasodilator effects of H2S may require activation of smooth muscle cell membrane ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels and large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels. The KATP inhibitor glibenclamide and the BK inhibitor paxilline blocked CSE/H2S-dependent dilation of pial arterioles to ET-1. In contrast, the vasoconstrictor response of pial arterioles to 10-8 M ET-1 was not modulated by PPG, BCA, glibenclamide, or paxilline and, therefore, was independent of CSE/H2S influences. Pial arteriolar constriction response to higher levels of ET-1 was independent of CSE/H2S and KATP/BKCa channel activation. These data suggest that H2S is an endothelium-derived factor that mediates the vasodilator effects of ET-1 in the cerebral circulation via a mechanism that involves activation of KATP and BK channels in vascular smooth muscle. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Disorders of the cerebral circulation in newborn infants may lead to lifelong neurological disabilities. We report that vasoactive peptide endothelin-1 exhibits vasodilator properties in the neonatal cerebral circulation by stimulating production of H2S, an endothelium-derived messenger with vasodilator properties. The ability of endothelin-1 to stimulate brain production of H2S may counteract the reduction in cerebral blood flow and prevent the cerebral vascular dysfunction caused by stroke, asphyxia, cerebral hypoxia, ischemia, and vasospasm.

The stimulation of some facial regions is known to trigger the trigemino-cardiac reflex: the main stimulus is represented by the contact of the face with water. This phenomenon called diving reflex induces a set of reactions in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems occurring in all mammals, especially marine (whales, seals). During the immersion of the face in the water, the main responses are aimed at reducing the oxygen consumption of the organism. Accordingly reduction in heart rate, peripheral vasoconstriction, blood pooling in certain organs, especially the heart, and brain and an increase in blood pressure have been reported. Moreover, the speed and intensity of the reflex is inversely proportional to the temperature of the water: more cold the water, more reactions as described are strong. In the case of deep diving an additional effect, such as blood deviation, has been reported: the blood is sequestered within the lungs, to compensate for the increase in the external pressure, preventing them from collapsing. The trigeminal-cardiac reflex is not just confined to the diving reflex; recently it has been shown that a brief proprioceptive stimulation (10 min) by jaw extension in rats produces interesting effects both at systemic and cerebral levels, reducing the arterial blood pressure, and vasodilating the pial arterioles. The arteriolar dilation is associated with rhythmic diameter changes characterized by an increase in the endothelial activity. Fascinating the stimulation of trigeminal nerve is able to activate the nitric oxide release by vascular endothelial cells. Therefore, the aim of this review was to highlight the effects due to trigeminal cardiac reflex induced by a simple mandibular extension. Opposite effects, such as hypotension, and modulation of cerebral arteriolar tone, were observed, when these responses were compared to those elicited by the diving reflex.

We studied the density and structure of the microvascular network of the pia mater, the blood flow rate and oxygen saturation in the sensorimotor cortex of young spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The density of the microvascular network in hypertensive animals was by ~1.4 times lower than in normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (control) and arteriolar bed density was lower by ~1.9 times. The blood flow rate in tissue and oxygen saturation in the sensorimotor cortex in SHR rats were significantly lower than in control animals.

Increasing evidence indicates that poor outcomes after brain hemorrhage, especially after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), can be attributed largely to dysfunction of the cerebral microcirculation. However, the cause of this dysfunction remains unclear. Here, we investigated changes in the cerebral microcirculation after regional hemorrhage in the subarachnoid space using the closed cranial window technique in mice. A single pial arteriole on the surface of the brain was punctured to induce a regional hemorrhage in the subarachnoid space. Physiological parameters were monitored during the procedure, and microvessel diameter was measured after hemorrhage. The vasoreactivity of the arterioles in response to hypercapnia as well as to topical application of the vasodilator acetylcholine (ACh) and S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP) were assessed. The constriction of pial arterioles was detected without changes in other physiological parameters. Decreased reactivity of pial arterioles to all of the applied vasodilatory stimuli was observed after hemorrhage. Our results indicate that regional hemorrhage in the subarachnoid space can induce the vasospasm of microvessels and also reduce the vasoreactivity of pial arterioles.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to examine whether vigorous exercise training (VExT) could influence nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-dependent vasodilation and transient focal ischemia-induced brain injury. Rats were divided into sedentary (SED) or VExT groups.
METHODS: Exercise was carried out 5 days/week for a period of 8-10 weeks. First, we measured responses of pial arterioles to an eNOS-dependent (ADP), an nNOS-dependent (NMDA) and a NOS-independent (nitroglycerin) agonist in SED and VExT rats. Second, we measured infarct volume in SED and VExT rats following middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Third, we measured superoxide levels in brain tissue of SED and VExT rats under basal and stimulated conditions.
RESULTS: We found that eNOS- and nNOS-dependent, but not NOS-independent vasodilation, was increased in VExT compared to SED rats, and this could be inhibited with L-NMMA in both groups. In addition, we found that VExT reduced infarct volume following MCAO when compared to SED rats. Further, superoxide levels were similar in brain tissue from SED and VExT rats under basal and stimulated conditions.
CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that VExT potentiates NOS-dependent vascular reactivity and reduces infarct volume following MCAO via a mechanism that appears to be independent of oxidative stress, but presumably related to an increase in the contribution of nitric oxide.