Longitudinal Gradients in Periarteriolar Oxygen Tension

A Possible Mechanism For the Participation of Oxygen in Local Regulation of Blood Flow

¹ Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22901

The oxygen tension (Po₂) on the external surface of arterioles between 8 and 100µ in diameter was measured with oxygen microcathodes (2 to 6µ diameter) in the suffused cheek pouch of hamsters and in the cremaster muscle of hamsters and rats anesthetized with pentobarbital and urethane. Intravascular Po₂ was measured in 10 vessels and compared with extravascular Po₂. Good agreement was found, with a mean difference of 1.4 ± 0.8 (SE) mm Hg. Significant longitudinal gradients were observed in periarteriolar Po₂. Oxygen tension fell from 35 ± 4 mm Hg on the small arteries (ca. 80µ diameter) to 20 ± 3 mm Hg at the end of the terminal arterioles. These measurements were obtained with a suffusion solution Po₂ of 39 ± 8 mm Hg, a tissue Po₂ of 8 ± 2 mm Hg and femoral arterial blood Po₂ of 69 mm Hg. When the suffusion solution Po₂ was raised to 79 mm Hg, the resultant measurements were 42 ± 3 on the small arteries and 21 ± 3 mm Hg at the end of the terminal arterioles. Similar experiments were carried out while animals were breathing 95% oxygen and the Po₂ of the cheek pouch suffusion solution was 39 mm Hg. Under these conditions, small artery Po₂ was 152 ± 13 mm Hg and terminal arteriolar Po₂ was 37 ± 9 mm Hg. Femoral artery blood Po₂ was 427 ± 12 mm Hg. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that oxygen diffuses from the precapillary vessels and that intravascular Po₂ falls progressively along the resistance vessels. This finding suggests a possible mechanism for the involvement of O₂ in local regulation of blood flow.

Submitted on June 11, 1970
Accepted on September 19, 1970

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