The aim of this study was to investigate the consequences of a venous striction on capillary red blood cell distribution and venular blood return and the effect of a coumarin derivative-rutoside combination. The study was conducted, in vivo, in the rat cremaster muscle using intravital microscopy. The striction lasted thirty minutes and was obtained by clamping the epigastric vein. This mechanical constraint was sufficient to induce microcirculatory modifications without disrupting microvessels. Before the striction (t-5 min), the velocities and diameters of the veins and arteries were comparable in all groups. After the striction (t5 min), in the control group, venous blood flow decreased by 60%, from 0.48 +/- 0.09 mm3/s (t-5 min) to 0.20 +/- 0.06 mm3/s (t5 min). The results showed that after thirty minutes reperfusion, venular blood flow in the control animals was only 34% of initial blood flow. The mean red blood cell velocity dropped by 56%, the percentage of low perfused capillaries increased from 7.5% to 50%. Treatment of animals with a coumarin derivative-rutoside combination, particularly at 4 mg/kg coumarin derivative-100 mg/kg rutoside, has significantly improved the microcirculation. After thirty minutes reperfusion venular blood flow was 60% and the percentage of low perfused capillaries was only 10%. The effect seemed to be more pronounced for rutoside than coumarin derivatives. The interest of this study was to set up an experimental model of a venous striction not too severe to induce micro-hemorrages but enough to modify microcirculation. This model was used to quantify the beneficial effects of a coumarin derivative-rutoside combination.