Vasoactive

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Pertaining to agents that affect the function and behavior of blood vessels by modulating their diameter and tension
2. Referring to compounds that alter the size and tension of blood vessels, thereby impacting vascular dynamics and blood flow
3. Relating to substances that influence the contraction or relaxation of blood vessels to regulate circulation

Etymology: "Vasoactive" is a plain technical coinage, built from "vaso-", a combining form from Latin "vas" meaning "vessel" (as in blood vessels), and "active." The combining form "vaso-" is the modern scientific element used in medical and physiological terms, while "active" carries its ordinary sense of producing an effect. Put together, the term describes a substance that acts on vessels. Because it is a compound built from two existing parts rather than a word that drifted in meaning, its history is short and transparent. Its sense is fixed by the physiology it names: substances that cause vessels to constrict or dilate, changing blood pressure and flow.

Synonyms: vascular, blood vessel affecting, circulatory system influencing, blood flow modifying, vascular active