Role of EDRF in the regulation of shear rate in large coronary arteries in conscious dogs.

To determine whether dilation of large coronary arteries normalizes shear during increased flow following brief occlusion, six dogs were instrumented to measure aortic and left ventricular pressures, left circumflex coronary artery external diameter, and coronary blood flow. The coronary artery was occluded for 15 or 30 s. Data were obtained before and after blockade of EDRF synthesis with nitro-L-arginine. Internal coronary artery diameter and wall shear were calculated on a moment-to-moment basis and the area under the flow curve was measured. Peak flow and shear rate were unaffected by NLA or by the occlusion duration. Flow curve area increased with the duration of occlusion. Internal and external diameters increased significantly for 15 s occlusions before NLA (by 4 +/- 1% in external diameter and by 11 +/- 4% in internal diameter) and for 30 s occlusions before NLA (by 5 +/- 1% in external diameter and by 14 +/- 5% in internal diameter) but not after NLA. Adenosine infusions of 0.05, 0.10, 0.50, and 1.0 mumol/kg/min were also used to dilate the coronary arteries. With each infusion, flow, shear and diameter were allowed to reach steady state. Steady state shear was reduced only slightly and did not approach the baseline state. We conclude that increased shear rate causes an increase in coronary artery diameter which is EDRF dependent. Increased coronary artery diameter during reactive hyperemia and adenosine infusions did not normalize wall shear.