Changes in regional vascular capacitance during prostacyclin-induced cardiac vagal reflex in pigs.

Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the prostaglandin I2 (prostacyclin; PGI2)-induced cardiac vagal reflex on intestinal and liver blood volumes and the intestinal vascular pressure-volume (P-V) relationship. In anesthetized pigs, blood volumes were measured by blood-pool scintigraphy. Portal venous pressure was varied by graded inflation of a portal vein constrictor to determine the intestinal vascular P-V relationship. Proximal right coronary infusion of PGI2 at a rate of 0.15 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 for 6 min increased intestinal blood volume by 7.0 +/- 1.2% (P < 0.01, means +/- SE) and shifted the intestinal vascular P-V relationship away from the pressure axis (i.e., a volume increase at a given venous pressure). This change was associated with decreases in liver blood volume and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure by 4.5 +/- 1.2 (P < 0.01) and 17 +/- 2% (P < 0.05), respectively. PGI2 also reduced central venous pressure by 16 +/- 2% from 3.2 +/- 0.5 mmHg (P < 0.05) and portal venous pressure by 7.0 +/- 0.6% from 7.6 +/- 0.6 mmHg (P < 0.05). These responses were abolished by bilateral vagotomy. The results demonstrate that intracoronary PGI2 infusion increases intestinal blood volume. This increase is mediated by a cardiac vagal reflex. The PGI2-induced shift in the intestinal vascular P-V relationship suggests that intestinal blood volume increases by an active change in vascular capacitance, whereas reductions in liver blood volume and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure appear to be due to passive mechanisms related to the shift of blood volume to the intestinal circulation.

PMID: 8067407 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]