Mammary blood flow regulation in the nursing rabbit.
Cardiac output and mammary blood flow distribution prior to and after suckling were studied in 10 nursing rabbits by means of radionuclide-labeled microspheres. Suckling was followed by a 5.8% rise in cardiac output and a 20.4% rise in mammary blood flow. Determinations of intraglandular blood flow distribution have shown that there was a 43% increase in blood flow to the glands suckled from as compared to a 22.7% rise to the contralateral untouched glands and a 4.9% rise in the remainder of untouched glands. The conclusion is that a local mechanism may be involved in the regulation of mammary blood flow in the nursing rabbit.
D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002302:Cardiac Output; D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D007774:Lactation; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000098:blood supply*; D008863:Microspheres; D011247:Pregnancy; D011817:Rabbits; D012039:Regional Blood Flow
D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes