Abstract
The mechanisms that regulate relaxation of the fetal ductus arteriosus (DA) and its postnatal constriction are the subject of ongoing studies. Using pressure myography, a pattern of rhythmic oscillatory contractions termed vasomotion was observed in the isolated DA of preterm (day 15) fetal mice. Vasomotion was enhanced by oxygen-induced DA constriction and other contractile agents, and diminished by vasodilatory stimuli or inhibition of chloride channels. The DA of late preterm (day 17) or term (day 19) gestation fetal mice did not exhibit vasomotion. These studies establish the stage-specific presence of vasomotion in the DA of fetal mice and suggest that complex events contribute to intrinsic mechanisms for control of fetal DA tone.