Vasoactive

Vasoactive: what is it and how does it affect our body?

Vasoactive substances play an important role in regulating blood flow and blood pressure in our body. They affect the tone and diameter of the lumen of blood vessels, especially arteries. This category of substances includes factors such as emotional arousal, blood pressure, carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere and ambient temperature. Some of them affect the vessels directly, while others initially affect the vasomotor center of the brain, and from it information flows to the vessels.

The blood vessels of our body can narrow or dilate depending on the action of vasoactive substances. For example, emotional excitement or stress can cause blood vessels to constrict, which can lead to increased blood pressure. Conversely, relaxing muscles and reducing stress can cause blood vessels to dilate and lower blood pressure.

In addition, vasoactive substances can be used in medicine to treat various diseases. For example, some medications that act on blood vessels and increase their tone can be used to treat hypotension, a condition in which blood pressure drops below normal.

Some vasoactive substances, such as epinephrine and norepinephrine, are hormones produced by the adrenal glands. They play an important role in regulating blood flow and are involved in the fight-or-flight response that occurs during stress or danger.

Vasoactive substances are also used during diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. For example, angiography (X-ray examination of blood vessels) may use substances that temporarily dilate the blood vessels to improve visibility on an X-ray.

Thus, vasoactive substances play an important role in regulating blood flow and blood pressure in our body. Their effects can be both positive and negative, so it is important to be able to control the effects of these substances on our body.

Vasoactive is a term used to describe substances or factors that affect the tone and diameter of blood vessels, especially arteries. These substances can be either endogenous - that is, produced by the body, or exogenous - coming from the outside.

Vasoactive factors include emotional arousal, blood pressure, carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere and ambient temperature. They can influence the vessels directly, changing their tone and diameter, or initially influence the vasomotor center of the brain, and from it information flows to the vessels.

One of the best known vasoactive factors is nitric oxide (NO). It is produced by endothelial cells that line the inner surface of blood vessels and promotes their relaxation, which leads to an increase in the lumen of the vessels and improved blood flow.

Another important vasoactive factor is endothelin, which is also produced by endothelial cells. This factor constricts blood vessels and increases blood pressure.

In addition, some drugs can be vasoactive, for example, nitroglycerin, which dilates blood vessels and is used to treat angina pectoris and hypertensive crisis.

Overall, understanding vasoactive factors is of great importance for understanding circulatory physiology and developing new treatments for diseases associated with impaired blood flow.

If vasoactive substances did not exist, the heart would be weak and unable to pump blood throughout the body. But with their help, we can adjust the strength and speed of cardiac output to suit our needs. This is why the ability to regulate our internal environment is so important, and our functioning is impossible without vasoactive regulation. Although blood vessels were “discovered” in 272 BC by Hippocrates, the vasoactive substances that regulate vessel diameter have only recently been studied. Depending on whether they cause dilation, constriction or slow dilation of blood vessels.