Figure 5.

Effects of decentralization on concentration–response curves for the physiological vasoconstrictor agents, vasopressin (A) and angiotensin II (AII; B). Data are shown for arteries decentralized for 2 weeks and their controls (from unoperated rats). The concentration–response curves for vasopressin in the decentralized arteries differed significantly from their controls. The maximum contractions to AII in the decentralized arteries were markedly larger than in their controls. In A, data are presented as means ± SEMs, and P values indicate the significance of the differences between the curves for control and denervated arteries (assessed by analysis of variance). In B, data are presented as medians and interquartile ranges, and the P value indicates the significance of the difference between the maximum contractions to AII (assessed by Mann–Whitney U-tests). For both groups, n= 6.