Computer Calculation for Tissue Oxygenation and the Meaningful Presentation of the Results. In: Bruley DF, Bicher HI, editors. Oxygen Transport to Tissue. New York: Springer US; 1973. pp. 783-92. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4684-5089-7_16]

The terminal vascular bed in the superficial cortex of the rat. An SEM study of corrosion casts

The capillaries in the vascular bed of the rat brain have been investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy of corrosion casts. A technique is described that allowed the finer ramifications to be observed. A series of representative sites from the arteriovenous terminal pathway are described in detail. Contrary to previous reports, the dichotomic pattern of vessel distribution is shown to prevail over the network pattern. Arteriovenous shunts of discrete size were not seen. "Thoroughfare channels" could be recognized. The findings are considered in light of current physiological knowledge, and their significance for microcerebrovascular flow is indicated.

Microcirculation of left atrial muscle, cerebral cortex and mesentery of the cat. A comparative analysis

By means of transillumination (microtransilluminator and light pipe), comparative analyses were carried out on geometry, topography, and morphometry of microcirculation in the cerebral cortex, left atrial muscle, and mesentery of the cat using computer analysis. In addition, specific types of capillary distribution (concurrent, countercurrent, and asymmetric distribution) in these three organs were ascertained from images visualized on films. These parameters were related to their role in tissue oxygen supply. It was found that mean capillary diameter, mean intercapillary distance, total capillary length, and total capillary surface area differed significantly among the three organs. Differences in mean capillary tortuosity between cerebral and left atrial muscle and between left atrial muscle and mesentery also were significant. Mean capillary tortuosity in mesentery and cerebral cortex was of equal magnitude. In the cerebral cortex, a high degree of tortuosity and asymmetric capillary distribution favor tissue oxygenation. A similar situation exists in left atrial muscle, although some concurrent and countercurrent distribution could be detected. In the mesentery, the combination of high capillary tortuosity and concurrent capillary arrangement is unfavorable for tissue oxygenation.

Quantitative capillary topography and blood flow in the cerebral cortex of cats: an in vivo microscopic study

In 50 anesthetized cats the microcirculation in intermediate and deeper layers of the cerebral cortex was visualized in vivo by microtransillumination, and documented by high-speed microcinephotography. The viability of the preparation was verified in a series of experiments demonstrating spontaneous vasomotion and responsiveness to chemical stimulation of pial arterioles and small arteries. Stereological methods for quantitative analysis of projected images of capillaries in a comparatively large tissue volume were employed to determine morphometric and topographical parameters of the asymmetric, highly tortuous intracortical capillary network. Capillary diameters (5.1 +/- 0.84 micrometer), radii of curvature (median 57 micrometer), total capillary lengths per tissue volume 939 +/- 338.2 mm/cu.mm), capillary volume fractions (2.1 +/- 0.51%), total capillary surface areas per tissue volume (15.3 +/- 4.85 sq.mm/cu.mm), and intercapillary distances (median 24.2 micrometer) showed significant interregional differences. The frequency distribution of the lengths of capillary segments (median 108 micrometer) was best described by a Weibull distribution. On the average 90% of all capillaries were continuously perfused. Capillary red cell flow (median velocity 1500 micrometer/sec) was predominantly unidirectional and conspicuously irregular. The variance of capillary red cell velocities (CRCVs) was significantly correlated (tau = 0.48) with capillary tortuosity. An extreme value distribution best described the observed frequency distribution of CRCVs. Flow irregularities represented both white noise and a significant stochastic periodicity at frequencies between 40 and 90 Hz.

Analysis of Capillary-Tissue Diffusion in Multicapillary Systems

The diffusive transport of a substance between a parallel capillary network and the surrounding tissue is investigated. The consumption/production rate of the substance in the tissue is assumed to be constant (zero-order chemical kinetics). The solution of the diffusion problem which describes the distribution of the substance in the tissue and along the capillary network is found in an analytical form. A rather general assumption regarding the symmetry of capillary network makes it possible to formulate a Neumann-type boundary-value problem in a rectangular domain. The solution of the diffusion problem in the rectangle allows the capillary-tissue fluxes to be expressed linearly in terms of the concentrations in the capillaries, and hence leads to ordinary differential equations for those concentrations. Several examples are considered with different network geometry and concurrent or countercurrent flow conditions. The solution makes it possible to investigate the effect of capillary interaction on mass transfer in various microcirculatory units.

Distribution of the myocardial tissue PO2 in the rat and the inhomogeneity of the coronary bed

The structural inhomogeneity of the myocardial capillary bed is stimulated by microcirculatory units (MCU's) in a diffusion model. This stimulation is based on MCU's in which the arrangement of the capillary ends (concurrent structure, partial and total countercurrent (structure, helical structure) as well as the structure and supply parameters are varied. The variation of these parameters is based on own measurements of the intracapillary HbO2 saturation as well as on the following parameters from the literature: frequency distribution of capillary distance and capillary radius, mean capillary length or capillary section length respectively, arterial and mean venous PO2, mean coronary blood flow, mean O2 consumption and diffusion conductivity. The analysis of O2 supply of the normoxic rat heart shows that an O2 diffusion shunt is obligatory except of MCU's with an extremely large capillary distance or with a concurrent capillary structure. Therefore the minimal tissue PO2 lies at the level of the capillary venous PO2 of a MCU. The maximum of the total PO2 frequency distribution in the normoxic rat myocardium lies at 25 +/- 5 mm Hg, i.e. above the mean venous PO2 (20 mm Hg). Tissue PO2 values between 0 and 5 mm Hg amount to 0.5% i.e. they are extremely rare. Tissue PO2 values of 0-1 mm Hg represent less than 0.2%.

Heterogeneity of the hypoxic state in perfused rat heart

Tissue oxygen gradients were examined in the saline-perfused rat heart by NADH fluorescence photography. In high flow hypoxia, where the coronary flow was maintained and the arterial oxygen tension was gradually reduced, oxygen extraction was virtually complete before oxygen consumption was significantly diminished. Inadequate oxygen delivery resulted in a well defined pattern of anoxic zones. The anoxic zones were several hundred microns in width, an order of magnitude greater than intercapillary distances. In low flow hypoxia (ischemia), where the arterial oxygen tension remained at its control value and the coronary flow was diminished, anoxic zones also developed, following the same pattern as in high flow hypoxia. However, in ischemia, the anoxic areas developed while the effluent oxygen tesion was significantly greater than zero. Whereas respiratory acidosis between pH 7.3 and 6.9 resulted in vasodilation, below PH 6.8 there was a marked increase in vascular resistance. Anoxic zones appeared despite only a slight change in effluent oxygen tension from the control. In high flow hypoxia, ischemia, and acidosis-induced ischemia, the anoxic zones disappeared when control perfusion conditions were restored. The data demonstrate that tissue oxygen gradients are very steep in the hypoxic state, so that ischemia and hypoxia result in discrete heterogeneous areas of anoxic tissue bounded by sharp areas where the oxygen supply is sufficient to maintain normal mitochondrial oxidative function. In these states in which oxygen delivery is less than oxygen demand, coronary perfusion appears to be regulated at the level of the arterioles rather than the capillaries.