Regional sciatic nerve blood flow response to limb movement.
The regional blood flow in the sciatic nerves (NBF), biceps femoris muscles (MBF), and hind limb skin (SBF) was measured simultaneously in anesthetized, normal rats, in other rats immediately after 15 min of electrical stimulation of one sciatic trunk (10 shocks/s), and in a group of similarly stimulated but previously curarized rats. These experiments were done to quantitate NBF during direct nerve stimulation in both the presence and absence of associated vigorous limb twitching, as these relationships have not previously been examined. Tissue blood flows were measured by an "indicator-fractionation" technic, using the distribution of [14C]butanol. NBF in normal controls was 11.1 +/- 1.4 ml X min-1 X 100 g-1; MBF was 6.8 +/- 0.6 ml X min-1 X 100 g-1. In the stimulated limb of noncurarized rats, NBF rose to 19.8 +/- 3.5 ml X min-1 X 100 g-1. MBF was elevated approximately tenfold. SBF also rose. In stimulated limbs of curarized rats, NBF was also approximately double the resting normal value, 23.2 +/- 4.8 ml X min-1 X 100 g-1, but MBF was then only slightly increased. We conclude that sciatic NBF increases appreciably when this nerve is stimulated, irrespective, for the most part, of whether limb motor activity is increased. The vascular mechanisms which regulate NBF differ from and are largely independent of those regulating MBF.
D000818:Animals; D003472:Curare / Q000494:pharmacology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005121:Extremities / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000098:blood supply*
D003472:Curare