In: Nursing
how does atherosclerosis cause vasospasm?
Vasospasm is the involuntary contraction of muscle that may remain in contracted state.
The thin epithelial layer on the lumen side of blood vessel is called endothelium, it releases nitric oxide and prostacyclin that cause the blood vessel to relax, also induce ADP mediated relaxation. (of the released ADP, 5HT and thromboxane; ADP dominate the contractile effect of 5HT and thromboxane
Atherosclerosis is the deposition of fats and cholesterol in the endothelial cells of blood vessels and also on the endothelium on the lumen side, this causes damage to endothelial cells.
Damaged endothelial cells cant be able to release sufficient nitric oxide and prostacyclin for the muscle relaxation. In this situation aggregation of platelets release ADP, 5HT and thromboxane but ADP cant dominate the contractile effect of 5HT and thromboxane
In such way the mediators (nitric oxide, prostacyclin and ADP) wont be able to make blood vessel relax and the muscle remain in contracted state that leads to vasospasm