Control of Blood Pressure and the Distribution of Blood Flow

Author(s):  
Hans T. Versmold

Systemic blood pressure (BP) is the product of cardiac output and total peripheral resistance. Cardiac output is controlled by the heart rate, myocardial contractility, preload, and afterload. Vascular resistance (vascular hindrance × viscosity) is under local autoregulation and general neurohumoral control through sympathetic adrenergic innervation and circulating catecholamines. Sympathetic innovation predominates in organs receivingflowin excess of their metabolic demands (skin, splanchnic organs, kidney), while innervation is poor and autoregulation predominates in the brain and heart. The distribution of blood flow depends on the relative resistances of the organ circulations. During stress (hypoxia, low cardiac output), a raise in adrenergic tone and in circulating catecholamines leads to preferential vasoconstriction in highly innervated organs, so that blood flow is directed to the brain and heart. Catecholamines also control the levels of the vasoconstrictors renin, angiotensin II, and vasopressin. These general principles also apply to the neonate.

1979 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 995-1002 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Jones ◽  
Robert M. Bryan Jr. ◽  
Nigel H. West ◽  
Raymond H. Lord ◽  
Brenda Clark

The regional distribution of blood flow, both before and during forced diving, was studied in the duck using radioactively labelled microspheres. Cardiac output fell from 227 ± 30 to 95 ± 16 mL kg−1 min−1 after 20–72 s of submergence and to 59 ± 18 mL kg−1 min−1 after 144–250 s of submergence. Mean arterial blood pressure did not change significantly as total peripheral resistance increased by four times during prolonged diving. Before diving the highest proportion of cardiac output went to the heart (2.6 ± 0.5%, n = 9) and kidneys (2.7 ± 0.5%, n = 9), with the brain receiving less than 1%. The share of cardiac output going to the brain and heart increased spectacularly during prolonged dives to 10.5 ± 3% (n = 5) and 15.9 ± 3.8% (n = 5), respectively, while that to the kidney fell to 0.4 ± 0.26% (n = 3). Since cardiac output declined during diving, tissue blood flow (millilitres per gram per minute) to the heart was unchanged although in the case of the brain it increased 2.35 times after 20–75 s of submergence and 8.5 times after 140–250 s of submergence. Spleen blood flow, the highest of any tissue predive (5.6 ± 1.3 mL g−1 min−1, n = 4), was insignificant during diving while adrenal flow increased markedly, in one animal reaching 7.09 mL g−1 min−1. The present results amplify general conclusions from previous research on regional distribution of blood flow in diving homeotherms, showing that, although both heart and brain receive a significant increase in the proportionate share of cardiac output during diving only the brain receives a significant increase in tissue blood flow, which increases as submergence is prolonged.


1962 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Allwood ◽  
Ernst W. Keck ◽  
Robert J. Marshall ◽  
John T. Shepherd

Changes in cardiac output, stroke volume, and systemic blood pressure have been correlated with changes in muscle blood flow during the periods of initial transient and subsequent sustamed vasodilatation during intravenous infusion of epinephrine. In the initial phase blood pressure decreased slightly; forearm blood flow increased by 308%, cardiac output by 50%, and stroke volume by 10%. During the sustained phase the systolic blood pressure increased; corresponding increases for the other measurements were 87, 47, and 25%, respectively. The lack of correlation between these changes in cardiac output and forearm blood flow suggests that in the transient phase vasodilatation does not occur simultaneously in all muscle groups. Stroke volume makes a greater contribution to the increased output during the sustained phase. Submitted on May 29, 1961


2003 ◽  
Vol 284 (6) ◽  
pp. R1580-R1585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Kaufman ◽  
Jody Levasseur

We have previously shown that intrasplenic fluid extravasation is important in controlling blood volume. We proposed that, because the splenic vein flows in the portal vein, portal hypertension would increase splenic venous pressure and thus increase intrasplenic microvascular pressure and fluid extravasation. Given that the rat spleen has no capacity to store/release blood, intrasplenic fluid extravasation can be estimated by measuring the difference between splenic arterial inflow and venous outflow. In anesthetized rats, partial ligation of the portal vein rostral to the junction with the splenic vein caused portal venous pressure to rise from 4.5 ± 0.5 to 12.0 ± 0.9 mmHg ( n = 6); there was no change in portal venous pressure downstream of the ligation, although blood flow in the liver fell. Splenic arterial flow did not change, but the arteriovenous flow differential increased from 0.8 ± 0.3 to 1.2 ± 0.1 ml/min ( n = 6), and splenic venous hematocrit rose. Mean arterial pressure fell (101 ± 5.5 to 95 ± 4 mmHg). Splenic afferent nerve activity increased (5.6 ± 0.9 to 16.2 ± 0.7 spikes/s, n = 5). Contrary to our hypothesis, partial ligation of the portal vein caudal to the junction with the splenic vein (same increase in portal venous pressure but no increase in splenic venous pressure) also caused the splenic arteriovenous flow differential to increase (0.6 ± 0.1 to 1.0 ± 0.2 ml/min; n = 8). The increase in intrasplenic fluid efflux and the fall in mean arterial pressure after rostral portal vein ligation were abolished by splenic denervation. We propose there to be an intestinal/hepatic/splenic reflex pathway, through which is mediated the changes in intrasplenic extravasation and systemic blood pressure observed during portal hypertension.


1981 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Keeler ◽  
Anamaria Barrientos ◽  
K. Lee

A study was made of the effects of acute (4 h) or chronic (4 days) infusion of Escherichia coli endotoxin on cardiovascular function in rats. Rats with acute endotoxemia had a reduced cardiac output but maintained their arterial blood pressure. Fractional distribution of the cardiac output was increased to the liver and reduced to the gastrointestinal tract and skin. No changes in fractional distribution to the kidneys, lungs, or heart were observed although absolute blood flow to these areas was reduced.Rats with chronic endotoxemia had a reduced cardiac output and hypotension with no change in peripheral resistance. Other changes resembled those seen in acute endotoxemia apart from a low renal fraction of the cardiac output. Calculation and interpretation of blood flow changes in these animals was difficult because of a large fall in hematocrit and changes in organ weight.


2012 ◽  
Vol 150 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 285-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miyoko Kasai ◽  
Takashi Miyazaki ◽  
Tsuneo Takenaka ◽  
Hiroyuki Yanagisawa ◽  
Hiromichi Suzuki

1998 ◽  
Vol 85 (5) ◽  
pp. 1649-1654 ◽  
Author(s):  
John B. Buckwalter ◽  
Stephen B. Ruble ◽  
Patrick J. Mueller ◽  
Philip S. Clifford

The purpose of this study was to determine whether β-adrenergic or muscarinic receptors are involved in skeletal muscle vasodilation at the onset of exercise. Mongrel dogs ( n = 7) were instrumented with flow probes on both external iliac arteries and a catheter in one femoral artery. Propranolol (1 mg), atropine (500 μg), both drugs, or saline was infused intra-arterially immediately before treadmill exercise at 3 miles/h, 0% grade. Immediate and rapid increases in iliac blood flow occurred with initiation of exercise under all conditions. Peak blood flows were not significantly different among conditions (682 ± 35, 646 ± 49, 637 ± 68, and 705 ± 50 ml/min, respectively). Although the doses of antagonists employed had no effect on heart rate or systemic blood pressure, they were adequate to abolish agonist-induced increases in iliac blood flow. Because neither propranolol nor atropine affected iliac blood flow, we conclude that activation of β-adrenergic and muscarinic receptors is not essential for the rapid vasodilation in active skeletal muscle at the onset of exercise in dogs.


1963 ◽  
Vol 205 (2) ◽  
pp. 360-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis L. Abel ◽  
John H. Pierce ◽  
Warren G. Guntheroth

The effects of 30° head-down and head-up tilting on mean systemic blood pressure, carotid blood flow, and heart rate were studied in 16 dogs under morphine and Nembutal anesthesia. The tilting procedure was further repeated after denervation of the carotid sinus and aortic arch baroreceptors and after administration of a dihydrogenated ergot alkaloid mixture (Hydergine). The results indicate that the drop in pressure in the head-down position is primarily due to baroreceptor activity and that the baroreceptors are necessary for compensatory vasoconstriction on head-up tilting. Carotid blood flow decreased in both tilted positions in the control animals; the possible relationship to cerebral blood flow is discussed.


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