Hyperosmolarity causes BK Ca-dependent vasodilatations in rat skeletal muscle arteries.

Purpose: The release of different metabolites during skeletal muscle contraction causes a pronounced increase in extracellular osmolarity (hyperosmolarity (HO)). HO has been considered as a possible mediator of the exercise hyperemia. In the present study, we investigated the vasodilatory effect of physiologically relevant increases in the extracellular osmolarity in isolated rat gluteal muscle arterioles.