Abstract
A remarkable characteristic of the cerebrocortical microcirculation is the fast flow of erythrocytes through narrow, tortuous capillaries. In the absence of capillary recruitment (Göbel et al, 1990) the high flow velocity may represent a functional reserve for oxygen supply to cerebral tissue. In addition, significant spatial variability of erythrocyte flow exists in the cortex (Hudetz et al, 1992). During reduced perfusion pressure, the “flow reserve” could be utilized by the partial redistribution of flow from the normally well perfused capillaries to poorly perfused capillaries. Such a redistribution of cerebrocortical capillary flow from “functionally superperfused” to normally perfused capillaries was suggested by Lubbers and Leniger-Follert (1978) based on their measurements of microflow in the cerebral cortex by hydrogen clearance. The possibility of microflow redistribution was suggested in several physiological states, in particular, during acute changes in blood pressure (Leniger-Follert and Lübbers, 1975). Although the latter observations were carried out in very small tissue volumes (min. 0.05mm3) the proposed hypothesis has not been directly tested in individual capillaries to date.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Damon, D.H, and Duling, B.R., 1986, Measurement of the distribution of capillary erythrocyte flow in striated muscle microcirculation, in: “Microvascular Networks: Experimental and Theoretical Studies,” A.S. Popel, P.C. Johnson, eds., Karger, Basel.
Duling, B.R., and Damon, D.H., 1987, An examination of the measurement of flow heterogeneity in striated muscle, Circ. Res. 60:1.
Ellis, C.G., Tyml, K., and Strang, B.K., 1989, Variation in axial velocity profile of red cells passing through a single capillary, Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 248:543.
Göbel, U., Theilen, H., and Kuschinsky, W., 1990, Congruence of total and perfused capillary network in rat brains, Circ. Res. 66:271.
Hudetz, A.G., 1989, Critical dependence of network resistance on functional capillary density: percolation phenomenon in the microcirculation, FASEB J. 3:A1406.
Hudetz, A.G., and DeVito, T., 1992, Three-dimensional network mapping of the cerebrocortical microcirculation, FASEB J. 6:A2075.
Hudetz, A.G., Weigle, C.G.M., Fenoy, F.J., and Roman, R., 1992, Use of fluorescently labeled erythrocytes and digital cross-correlation for the measurement of flow velocity in the cerebrocortical microcirculation, Microvasc. Res. 43:334.
Knuese, D., Hudetz, A.G., and Fehér, G., 1992, Automated measurement of fluorescently labeled erythrocyte flux in cerebrocortical capillaries, FASEB J. 6:A2077.
Leniger-Follert, E., and Lubbers, D.W., 1975, Interdependence of capillary flow and regional blood flow in the brain, in: “Cerebral Circulation and Metabolism,” T.W. Langfitt et al, eds., Springer, New York.
Lindbom, L., and Arfors, K.-E., 1980, Non-homogeneous blood flow distribution in the rabbit tenuissimus muscle: differential control of total blood flow and capillary perfusion, Acta Physiol. Scand. 122:225.
Lipowsky, H.H., 1986, Network hemodynamics and the shear rate dependency of blood viscosity, in: “Microvascular Networks: Experimental and Theoretical Studies,” A.S. Popel, P.C. Johnson, eds., Karger, Basel.
Little, J. R., Cook, A., Cook, S. A., and Maclntyre, W. J., 1981, Microcirculatory obstruction in focal cerebral ischemia: albumin and erythrocyte transit, Stroke 12:218.
Lübbers, D.W., and Leniger-Follert, E., 1978, Capillary flow in the brain cortex during changes in oxygen supply and state of activation, Ciba Foundation Symposium 56:21.
Renkin, E.M., 1969, Exchange of substances through capillary walls, in: “Ciba Foundation Symposium on Circulatory and Respiratory Mass Transport,” G.E.W. Wolstenhome, J. Knight, eds., J. and A. Churchill, Ltd., London.
Schmid-Schoenbein, G.W., Skalak, R., Usami, S., and Chien, S., 1980, Cell distribution in capillary networks, Microvasc. Res. 19:18.
Secomb, T.W., 1987, Flow dependent rheological properties of blood in capillaries, Microvasc. Res. 34:46.
Tomita, M., Gotoh, F., Amano, T., Tanahashi, N., Kobari, M., Shinohara, T., and Mihara, B., 1983, Transfer function through regional cerebral cortex evaluated by photoelectric method, Am. J. Physiol. 245:H385.
Tyml, K., and Mikulash, K., 1988, Evidence for increased perfusion heterogeneity in skeletal muscle during reduced flow, Microvasc. Res. 35:316.
Wells, S.M., Potter, R.F., Sainani, D.R., and C.G. Ellis, 1992, Red blood cell flow at converging capillary bifurcations, FASEB J. 6:A2088.
Yamakawa, T., Yamaguchi, S., Niimi, H., and Sugiyama, I., 1987, White blood cell plugging and blood flow maldistribution in the capillary network of cat cerebral cortex in acute hemorrhagic hypotension: an intravital microscopic study, Circulat. Shock 22:323.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1994 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hudetz, A.G., Fehér, G., Knuese, D.E., Kampine, J.P. (1994). Erythrocyte Flow Heterogeneity in the Cerebrocortical Capillary Network. In: Vaupel, P., Zander, R., Bruley, D.F. (eds) Oxygen Transport to Tissue XV. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 345. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2468-7_84
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2468-7_84
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-6051-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-2468-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive