Regional Blood Flow in Sciatic Nerve, Biceps Femoris Muscle, and Truncal Skin in Response to Hemorrhagic Hypotension

Abstract

Regional blood flow was measured simultaneously in rat sciatic nerves (NBF), truncal skin (SBF), and biceps femoris muscles (MBF) after graded hemorrhages. A modified ¹⁴C-butanol “indicator-fractionation” technique was used. In controls NBF was 11.4 ± 1.38 ml.min⁻¹.100 gm⁻¹ and did not differ significantly between limbs. After hypotension, NBF was: 101 mm Hg, 7.7 ± 1.3; 83 mm Hg, 5.3 ± 0.6; 62 mm Hg, 4.1 ± 0.6; 38 mm Hg, 3.1 ± 0.3. The relationship between NBF and MAP was linear: (r = 0.56; p < 0.001). SBF also declined linearly in hypotension (r = 0.54; p < 0.01), but MBF did not change significantly. No significant change in nerve vascular resistance occurred with hypotension but muscle vascular resistance declined progressively. The data indicate a striking absence of autoregulation of NBF, but MBF, as expected, displayed close autoregulation. The vascular mechanisms which regulate resting NBF following hemorrhage differ from those in both muscle and skin: during hypotension, the calculated neurovascular resistance was unchanged, while the resistance in muscle fell and that in the skin increased.