Angiogenesis and Hypoxia: Making More Blood Vessels
Getting back to angiogenesis (creation of new blood vessels), which accounts for the main mass of the penile tissues (when not engorged with blood), I have stumbled upon the subject of hypoxia inducing factors (HIF), which basically removes oxygen from the cells where it is injected. When the cell is hypoxic (lack of oxygen), it releases a signal to nearby blood vessels to sprout new pathways to the oxygen-deprived cells. This signal is called vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF for short. The new blood vessels connect to the existing vascular network, provide oxygen via the red blood cells, and the signalling stops. Hypoxia inducing factors have been successfully injected into patients with kidney disease, the result being a revascularization of the damaged parts of the organ. While there are several HIFs in existance, there are also different types. One in particular is cobalt chloride, which is a very common laboratory chemical. It is blue when dry, and pink when hydrated, m...