A vascular contractility bioassay using bovine right ruminal artery and vein.

Endophyte-infected (Neotyphodium coenophialum) tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum) produces ergot alkaloids that are associated with peripheral vasoconstriction in grazing animals, and ingestion of these alkaloids may affect splanchnic vasculature. Peripheral effects of ergot alkaloids have been well documented previously in cattle using a lateral saphenous vein bioassay. Because of significant differences in morphological and functional characteristics between vasculature supporting digestive and peripheral tissues, the bovine foregut vascular model required validation. Experiments were conducted, using dose-responses to norepinephrine and serotonin that were normalized to either 0.12 M KCl, or 0.1 mM norepinephrine or serotonin, to compare responses of vessels equilibrated at different tensions on the day of collection or the day after collection. Segments of a branch of right ruminal artery and vein were collected from the ventral coronary groove of healthy cattle of mixed breed, age, and sex (n = 20) at local abattoirs. Cross-sections of the artery and vein were suspended on luminal supports in a chamber of a multimyograph containing continuously oxygenated Krebs-Henseleit buffer (95% O(2)/5% CO(2), pH 7.4; 37°C). Vessels were allowed to equilibrate at either 0.5 or 1.0 g of tension for 1.5 h before exposure to a reference compound. Increasing concentrations of each biogenic amine were administered in 15-min intervals after buffer replacement. Data were normalized as a percentage of the contractile response induced by the reference compound for each tension and day of analysis. The ruminal artery and vein were both more responsive to KCl as a reference compound (P < 0.05) than to norepinephrine or serotonin and did not differ between days when normalized with KCl. Ruminal arteries had greater contractile responses (P < 0.05) when tension was set to 1.0 g, compared with 0.5 g, during equilibration. The ruminal vein response had a more stable maintenance of baseline tension in vessels equilibrated at 0.5 g of resting tension. Development of this bioassay allows separation of the effects tall fescue alkaloids exert on both the right ruminal artery and vein as representative vessels that service tissues functioning in nutrient absorption.