A study of the pharmacologic control of blood flow to acute skin flaps using xenon washout. Part I
This study was undertaken to understand the control mechanisms differentiating circulation to normal skin and acute skin flaps. The approach was to compare the effects of systemic vasoactive drugs on skin blood flow in rats in acute skin flaps and identical areas of control skin. With this model it was felt that systemic changes would affect both areas equally and any difference in response would be due to vascular control mechanisms unique to the flap. Xenon washout by percutaneous injection was chosen to measure blood flow. The results of over 8000 observations in these studies were: 1. Vasodilation enhances blood flow and flap survival. 2. Vasoconstriction decreases blood flow. 3. Depletion of sympathetic nerve terminals enhances blood flow and flap survival. 4. The acute flap is less sensitive to systemic alpha-agonists than control skin. 5. The acute flap is less sensitive to vasodilators acting at the receptor-site level than control skin. 6. Total sympathetic denervation does not occur. 7. Biologic increases in area of flap survival did occur in drug dose ranges predicted by xenon washout measurements in this model. These findings indicate that the vessels in an acutely raised skin flap have a greater vasospastic tone than is optimal for maximum nutrient blood flow. One explanation consistent with these findings is offered in which the mechanism responsible for this tone is the release of catecholamines from the sympathetic nerve terminals after the flap has been raised.
- Research Organization:
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ralph K. Davies Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
- OSTI ID:
- 5817533
- Journal Information:
- Plast. Reconstr. Surg.; (United States), Vol. 71:3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
SKIN
BLOOD FLOW
XENON 133
TRACER TECHNIQUES
PHYSIOLOGY
RATS
VASOCONSTRICTORS
VASODILATORS
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
CARDIOVASCULAR AGENTS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DRUGS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
MAMMALS
NUCLEI
ORGANS
RADIOISOTOPES
RODENTS
VERTEBRATES
XENON ISOTOPES
551001* - Physiological Systems- Tracer Techniques