Experimental Reversal of Capillary Blood Flow

Abstract

Beck, Sciaroni and others have made clinical and experimental attempts to reverse the direction of flow of blood across the capillary bed by the anastomosis of arteries and veins. The present authors have shown by the microscopic observation of capillaries in acute experiments on cats, dogs and rabbits that a reversal of blood flow in mesenteric capillaries will occur following the connection of an artery to a vein provided the collateral arteries and veins are obstructed. Furthermore, it was shown that blood flowing in a reverse direction through capillaries loses oxygen.