The Resistance Arteries is focused on the general issue of the regulatory pathways in resistance arteries and comprises a selection of timely overviews and up-to-date research studies presented at the 4th International Symposium on Resistance Arteries held at the University of Vermont in January, 1994. These small vessels act as major controllers of blood pressure, blood flow, and its distribution, and are involved in a variety of pathological conditions. The book is divided into five themes which address intra- and extracellular interactions, and membrane receptor pathways using diverse vascular beds such as the brain, heart, lung, kidney, and skin. Basic physiological studies examine growth factors, endothelium-derived nitric oxide, the impacts of flow and stretch, myogenic mechanisms, calcium regulation by protein kinase C, and signal transduction pathways. Much of the research was performed on human tissue to better elucidate vascular alterations of function and morphology in hypertension, atherosclerosis, and ischaemia.