Inert Gas Diffusion Method for Measurement of Blood Flow

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Abstract
The isolated cat gastrocnemius preparation was used to study the relation between the washout of 133Xenon measured by external monitoring and blood flow measured directly by a dropcounter. The experimental possibility was thereby tested of recording the total tracer bolus and its subsequent washout by external monitoring, using the height H and the corresponding area A of the washout curve. The partition coefficient λ, and the amount of recirculation were evaluated in separate experiments. According to Zierler, the blood flow per gram of tissue should equal λ • H/A. This relation was verified experimentally. Exponential analysis was carried out but the results of it were not considered to support the hypothesis of a two compartment inparallel model in skeletal muscle. The shape of the washout curve did not suggest the existence of A-V shunts.