Effect of chronic sympathetic denervation upon the transcapillary filtration rate induced by venous stasis

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Abstract
The effect of venous pressure elevation on capillary filtration rate in the limb was studied in 6 chronically sympathectomized patients. Five healthy subjects served as controls. Volume changes of the forearm or calf were recorded by a strain-gauge plethysmograph. Relative blood flow in s.c. and muscle tissue during venous stasis was measured by the local 133Xe washout technique. In the denervated limbs there was a linear relationship between net capillary filtration rate and venous pressure elevation. In the controls a non-linear relationship was seen as venous pressure elevation of 40 mm Hg only caused an increase in net filtration rate of .apprx. 66% of that expected from a linear relationship. In the denervated limbs blood flow in muscle and s.c. tissue remained constant during venous pressure elevation of more than 30 mm Hg; in the non-denervated limbs blood flow decreased by .apprx. 50% in both tissues. A local sympathetic veno-arteriolar (axon) reflex apparently plays a dominant role for the reduced increase in net capillary filtration rate during large increases in venous pressure. The local axon reflex may act as an edema protecting factor.