Vasoreactivity HUB
Contact Information
Associate Director, Kanchan Chitaley
(206) 897-5456
kanchanc@u.washington.edu
Description of Services
The central service provided by the proposed Vasoreactivity Hub will be the measurement of contractile and dilatory signaling (or vasomotor function) of isolated blood vessels (ex vivo). This encompasses both conduit and sinusoidal vascularized tissues. The estimated diameter of conduit vessels able to be studied ranges from 100-1000mm with segments being ~2-3mm in length for conduit rings and ~4-5mm in length for tissue strips. In future months, we hope to also provide our service for smaller order “resistance” vessels using a pressure-dependent system.
Vasoreactivity measurements can reflect functional defects in vascular smooth muscle and endothelium. These changes often occur in diabetic humans, as well as in animal models of diabetes and the metabolic syndrome.
