Intermittency of blood flow in liver sinusoids, studied by high
-resolution in vivo microscopy.
Macphee, P. J., E. E. Schmidt, and A. C. Groom.
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, St. Mary's Hospital
Medical School, London, United Kingdom and Department of Medical
Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
N6A 5C1
APStracts 2:0087G, 1995.
Kupffer cell migration and leukocyte-vessel wall interactions cause
temporary slowing/stoppage of blood flow through individual liver
sinusoids. Such temporal heterogeneity of flow was quantified in
anesthetized mice and rats. Videorecordings of red cell flow in 44
networks containing 8 to 16 sinusoids each were analyzed for 5-10 min
periods, flow being graded `fast', `slow', `stopped', or `reversed'
based on red cell velocity. The mean numbers of flow changes (between
grades) per min in Zone 1 vs Zone 3 were 1.39/0.78 (mouse) and
1.25/0.09 (rat). The mean % of time for each flow grade differed
significantly between Zones 1 and 3 and between species. For example,
fast flow was present in Zone 1 sinusoids for 51% of the time in
mouse and 74% in rat; in Zone 3 the corresponding numbers were 76%
and 95%. Flow stasis was present in Zone 1 sinusoids for 19% of the
time in mouse and 7% in rat; in Zone 3 the corresponding numbers were
2% and 0%. Thus, considerable intermittency of perfusion exists and
the flow conditions create very different microenvironments for
hepatocytes in Zone 1 vs Zone 3.
Received 21 September 1994; accepted in final form 17 April 1995.
APS Manuscript Number G364-4.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Gastrointest. Liver
Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 9 May 1995.