Regional blood flow in skeletal muscle measured by the heated thermocouple method during electrical nerve stimulation of the canine gracilis muscle.
Skeletal muscle blood flow (MBF) and intramuscular pressure (IMP) were measured using a heated thermocouple (HTC) and a solid-state catheter-tip transducer during electrical nerve stimulation in the gracilis muscle of anesthetized dogs. MBF values obtained simultaneously by the HTC method and the inhalated hydrogen gas (H2) clearance method showed an excellent linear regression with a correlation coefficient of 0.93. Electrical nerve stimulation at frequencies of 5 and 100 Hz increased total MBF, determined by an electromagnetic flowmeter, over control values 6.57 +/- 0.82 and 6.32 +/- 0.93 ml/min/100 g, respectively. Regional MBF at 5 Hz stimulation determined with HTC increased in the same magnitude both at the midpoint and the distal portion of the gracilis muscle. However, following 100 Hz stimulation, MBF at the midpoint was decreased from 8.15 +/- 1.55 to 4.09 +/- 1.54 ml/min/100 g, whereas at the distal portion flow was increased from 6.39 +/- 1.71 to 21.2 +/- 5.29 ml/min/100 g. IMP in both regions was low and approximately 2.0 mmHg at rest. IMP was remarkably increased to 27.9 +/- 8.43 mmHg at the midpoint but not in the distal portion during 100 Hz tetanic contraction, but showed no significant change in either region following 5 Hz stimulation. These data suggest that HTC can serve to measure MBF, and that following 100 Hz tetanic contraction, increased IMP may be associated with decreased regional MBF, irrespective of a total increase in flow in the gracilis muscle.
Shichino
K
K
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Osaka City University Medical School, Japan.
Yukimura
T
T
Miura
K
K
Yamamoto
K
K
Okubo
M
M
Shimazu
A
A
D000818:Animals; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D004285:Dogs; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009132:Muscles / Q000098:blood supply*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D013696:Temperature