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Neural beta-adrenergic dilatation of the facial vein in man. Possible mechanism in emotional blushing

Mellander, S ; Andersson, P O ; Afzelius, L E and Hellstrand, Per LU (1982) In Acta Physiologica Scandinavica 114(3). p.393-399
Abstract
Ring preparations of the superficial buccal segment of the human facial vein, taken from extirpated tissue in 12 patients during neck surgery, were studied in vitro. The vein developed a maintained intrinsic myogenic tone in response to passive stretch and was supplied with alpha- as well as beta-adrenoceptors, both of which could be influenced by transmural nerve stimulation (TNS) and noradrenaline. These unusual characteristics for a vein are basically similar to the ones described for the rabbit facial vein by Pegram, Bevan & Bevan (1976). In man there seemed to be an inter-individual difference with regard to the abundance of 'innervated' alpha- and beta-adrenoceptors. Facial vein specimens from some subjects thus responded with... (More)
Ring preparations of the superficial buccal segment of the human facial vein, taken from extirpated tissue in 12 patients during neck surgery, were studied in vitro. The vein developed a maintained intrinsic myogenic tone in response to passive stretch and was supplied with alpha- as well as beta-adrenoceptors, both of which could be influenced by transmural nerve stimulation (TNS) and noradrenaline. These unusual characteristics for a vein are basically similar to the ones described for the rabbit facial vein by Pegram, Bevan & Bevan (1976). In man there seemed to be an inter-individual difference with regard to the abundance of 'innervated' alpha- and beta-adrenoceptors. Facial vein specimens from some subjects thus responded with prompt and pronounced net dilatation to TNS with maximum at 4 Hz and those from others with net constriction with maximum at 16 Hz. The latter showed a reversal into neural beta-adrenergic dilatation after alpha-adrenergic blockade. The human external jugular vein was devoid of intrinsic tone and beta-adrenoceptors. It is tentatively proposed that a beta-adrenergic neuro-effector mechanism in superficial ramifications of the facial vein in man might be involved in the emotional blushing reaction. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Acta Physiologica Scandinavica
volume
114
issue
3
pages
393 - 399
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:6291328
  • scopus:0020036719
ISSN
0001-6772
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9a1cfa6c-a7be-4632-8422-d4f7dfd0c54f (old id 1102970)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:52:33
date last changed
2021-05-02 04:00:43
@article{9a1cfa6c-a7be-4632-8422-d4f7dfd0c54f,
  abstract     = {{Ring preparations of the superficial buccal segment of the human facial vein, taken from extirpated tissue in 12 patients during neck surgery, were studied in vitro. The vein developed a maintained intrinsic myogenic tone in response to passive stretch and was supplied with alpha- as well as beta-adrenoceptors, both of which could be influenced by transmural nerve stimulation (TNS) and noradrenaline. These unusual characteristics for a vein are basically similar to the ones described for the rabbit facial vein by Pegram, Bevan & Bevan (1976). In man there seemed to be an inter-individual difference with regard to the abundance of 'innervated' alpha- and beta-adrenoceptors. Facial vein specimens from some subjects thus responded with prompt and pronounced net dilatation to TNS with maximum at 4 Hz and those from others with net constriction with maximum at 16 Hz. The latter showed a reversal into neural beta-adrenergic dilatation after alpha-adrenergic blockade. The human external jugular vein was devoid of intrinsic tone and beta-adrenoceptors. It is tentatively proposed that a beta-adrenergic neuro-effector mechanism in superficial ramifications of the facial vein in man might be involved in the emotional blushing reaction.}},
  author       = {{Mellander, S and Andersson, P O and Afzelius, L E and Hellstrand, Per}},
  issn         = {{0001-6772}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{393--399}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Acta Physiologica Scandinavica}},
  title        = {{Neural beta-adrenergic dilatation of the facial vein in man. Possible mechanism in emotional blushing}},
  volume       = {{114}},
  year         = {{1982}},
}