Passage of labeled albumin into canine aortic wall in vivo and in vitro

Abstract

The passage of labeled albumin into canine aortic wall in vivo and in vitro was studied. In vivo albumin entered the inner layer fastest in the ascending aorta and progressively less rapidly down the length of the aorta. In vitro, this gradient was partially preserved since albumin entered the inner layer of ascending aorta faster than that of descending aorta. The gradient was not completely preserved in vitro, since albumin entered the inner layer of abdominal aorta faster than that of descending thoracic aorta. The rapid entrance of albumin into the abdominal portion of the aorta in vitro appears to have been due to the maintenance of arterial blood pressure in the unusually dense capillary network of the abdominal aorta. The partial preservation of the gradient in the isolated aorta excludes phasic variation of intra- or extra-aortic pressure as a cause of the gradient.