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Fig. 2 | Critical Care

Fig. 2

From: Regulation of blood flow and volume exchange across the microcirculation

Fig. 2

The myogenic response (Bayliss effect) as an example for vascular autoregulation. Dilatation of the microvessel leads to ion influx (Na+, Ca2+) through stretch-sensitive membrane ion channels and, therefore, to contraction of the vessel smooth muscle cells due to depolarisation (left hand panel, a very simple illustration of the reality where the link between stretch and smooth muscle contraction is certainly more complex). The right hand panel shows the impact of an acute increase in blood pressure on intravascular pressure and vessel diameter with (full line) and (potentially) without (dotted line) myogenic response. The Bayliss effect which targets maintaining tissue blood flow in the face of different blood pressure levels can be blocked, e.g., pharmacologically by calcium antagonists

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