Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Vasoconstriction

Vasoconstriction is the narrowing of blood vessels produced by contraction of the smooth muscle within their walls, predominantly in arterioles and small arteries that function as resistance vessels. It is a core mechanism of cardiovascular regulation, governing systemic vascular resistance, arterial blood pressure,…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 6 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 26× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 2329-9487 🗓 Reviewed July 2026

Overview

Vasoconstriction is the narrowing of blood vessels produced by contraction of the smooth muscle within their walls, predominantly in arterioles and small arteries that function as resistance vessels. It is a core mechanism of cardiovascular regulation, governing systemic vascular resistance, arterial blood pressure, and the regional distribution of blood flow to organs. Contraction is initiated by a rise in intracellular calcium that activates myosin light-chain kinase, and it is controlled by overlapping neural, humoral, and local pathways. Sympathetic nerves release norepinephrine acting on alpha-adrenergic receptors, while circulating mediators including angiotensin II, vasopressin, endothelin-1, and catecholamines promote constriction; the vascular endothelium modulates tone through the balance of vasodilators such as nitric oxide and prostacyclin against vasoconstrictors. Physiologically, vasoconstriction supports thermoregulation, redirects perfusion during exercise or hemorrhage, and maintains blood pressure on standing. Sustained or inappropriate vasoconstriction contributes to pathological states, raising peripheral resistance in hypertension and participating in vasospasm, Raynaud phenomenon, and impaired tissue perfusion. In the cerebral circulation, the interplay of vasoconstriction and vasodilation underlies cerebrovascular reactivity and autoregulation, which preserve constant brain blood flow across changing perfusion pressures and respond to carbon dioxide and metabolic demand. Pharmacological agents target these pathways, with vasodilators used to lower resistance and vasopressors employed to restore pressure in shock.

Research published in this journal

6 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 6 articles above have been cited 26 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Vasoconstriction, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in Hypertension and Cardiology (ISSN 2329-9487).

Journal editorial board
Hatori Nobuo · Japan Gregor Leibundgut · Switzerland Yuejin Li · United States

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.