Meeting Abstract

P2.140  Sunday, Jan. 5 15:30  Physiology of the Pekin duck (Anas pekin) ductus arteriosus MASCARENHAS, F.E.*; MALLERY JR., C.S.; DZIALOWSKI, E.M.; University of North Texas, Denton; University of North Texas, Denton; University of North Texas, Denton fancinemascarenhas@my.unt.edu

In developing avian embryos, the left and right ductus arteriosus shunt pulmonary blood away from the lungs to the systemic circuit and chorioallantois. In mammals and birds studied to date, the ductus arteriosus are oxygen sensitive vessels that constrict in response to increasing oxygen levels. In this study, we examine the physiology of the ductus arteriosus from Pekin duck (Anas pekin) in internal and external pipped embryos. The in vitro contractile response of the left ductus arteriosus was measured using wire myography. The duck ductus contracted in response to oxygen at both the internally and externally pipped stages. The ductus relaxed in response to high levels of NaS only in the presence of high oxygen. Under low oxygen levels, the relaxing response was muted. In response to phenylephrine, both the internally and externally pipped ductus contracted. At low concentrations, norepinephrine resulted in a weak contraction followed by relaxation at higher concentrations. The physiology of the duck ductus arteriosus is similar to that of the chicken ductus. This research was funded in part by an HHMI grant to Lee Hughes. Supported by NSF IOS 1146758 (EMD).