How do coronary arteries respond to sympathetic stimulation?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the physiological response of coronary arteries when stimulated by the sympathetic nervous system, which involves the body's response to stress or danger. This consists of understanding how sympathetic stimulation affects blood flow and artery behavior.
Answer
Sympathetic stimulation can cause both vasoconstriction and vasodilation in coronary arteries, affecting blood flow.
Sympathetic stimulation generally produces vasoconstriction in the smooth muscle of coronary arteries, but can also lead to vasodilation in coronary resistance vessels, increasing myocardial blood flow.
Answer for screen readers
Sympathetic stimulation generally produces vasoconstriction in the smooth muscle of coronary arteries, but can also lead to vasodilation in coronary resistance vessels, increasing myocardial blood flow.
More Information
The coronary arteries can respond to sympathetic stimulation in complex ways due to the presence of different receptors and conditions such as stress, which may influence the overall effect on blood flow.
Tips
A common mistake is not considering the role of both vasoconstriction and vasodilation in response to sympathetic stimulation, which depends on the specific coronary vessels and conditions involved.
Sources
- Sympathetic Control of Coronary Circulation - AHA Journals - ahajournals.org
- Effects of Cardiac Sympathetic Innervation on Coronary Blood Flow - nejm.org
- Coronary blood flow responses to physiological stress in humans - pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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