Which of the following does NOT occur during acute inflammation?

During acute inflammation, several key processes are activated to address injury and infection. One of the primary responses is vasodilation, which increases blood flow to the affected area. This leads to redness and warmth, and is essential for delivering immune cells and nutrients needed for healing. Increased permeability of blood vessels is another hallmark of acute inflammation; this allows plasma proteins and leukocytes, particularly neutrophils, to exit the bloodstream and migrate to the site of injury, which is crucial for the inflammatory response.

Given this context, the process that does not occur during acute inflammation is vasoconstriction. Instead, the initial response to injury typically involves rapid vasodilation, not constriction, which would impede blood flow and delay the inflammatory response. Vasoconstriction can occur in the very early moments of an injury to limit blood loss, but it is quickly followed by vasodilation as part of the inflammatory response. Thus, the choice of vasoconstriction accurately reflects a process that is not characteristic of acute inflammation.