THE EFFECT OF DISTENTION ON BLOOD FLOW THROUGH THE INTESTINE

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Abstract
Arterial flow into short loops of the small intestine was measured in barbitalized dogs by the differential manometer method of Lawson and Holt. Inflation of the loop to pressures below 30 mm. Hg caused only temporary reduction in flow, which returned to its control value during the inflation within 1-3 min. In occasional animals, flow increased above control levels following the temporary reduction. With inflations above 30 mm. Hg but below mean pressure in the mesenteric artery, flow returned following the temporary reduction but usually failed to reach control levels. Hyperemia following deflation was present in all cases, whether flow had been reduced during the inflation or not. If enlargement of the loop during inflation was prevented by encasing the loop in plaster, or if the loop was treated with cocaine or procaine, the initial reduction in flow on inflation persisted until deflation, and post-inflation hyperemia was observed only following large flow deficits. Transverse stretching of a strip of intestine sometimes caused a pure flow increase which persisted for some time after release. Mesenteric denervation was without striking effect on any of these responses. Stretching the walls of the intestine during inflation sets up vasodilatation through peripheral nervous mechanisms, which tend to keep the total blood flow constant.

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