Evaluation of endothelial dysfunction in vivo

Vascular endothelial cells play a major role in maintaining cardiovascular homeostasis. Impairment of physiological properties of the endothelium, such as the promotion of vasodilation and anti-aggregation, leads to a condition called endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial dysfunction is an important early event in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and has been shown to have prognostic value in predicting vascular events including stroke and myocardial infarction.Endothelial-dependent vasodilation is one of the most widely used methods for assessment of endothelial function in rodents. It includes pharmacological stimulation (for example by acetylcholine) of endothelial release of NO and other vasoactive compounds in comparison with vascular response to endothelium-independent dilators such as sodium nitroprusside. However, usually this technique is performed in anesthetized animals. Here we describe a method which allows evaluation of endothelial dysfunction in conscious, freely moving mice and rats