The American journal of cardiology
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Comparative Study
Effects of serotonin and histamine on proximal and distal coronary vasculature in dogs: comparison with alpha-adrenergic stimulation.
The effect of several vasoactive agents on epicardial conductance arteries and distal resistance arteries was studied in intact dogs using a special catheter system to infuse vasoactive mediators directly into the left anterior descending coronary artery of intact dogs. Serotonin produced significant epicardial vasoconstriction (42% cross-sectional area reduction, p less than 0.01), whereas histamine had no effect on proximal coronary arteries. ⋯ These results show that vasoactive mediators can have different actions on coronary resistance and conductance vessels. Serotonin is a potent vasoconstrictor of epicardial coronary arteries but does not produce significant constriction of coronary resistance vessels.