Analysis of the characteristics of the flow velocity waveforms in left atrial small arteries and veins in the dog.

Abstract

To clarify the characteristics of the phasic blood velocity pattern in small arteries and veins on the left atrial surface, we used our newly developed fiber-optic laser Doppler velocimeter. We intended particularly to examine the Influence of atrial contraction and relaxation on velocity waveforms to obtain some insight into the nature of the mechanical force acting on the atrial intramyocardial vascular beds. In 14 anesthetized open-chest dogs, the left atrial appendage was gently displaced to expose small branches of the artery and vein. Vessels with an outer diameter of about 150-500 fim were chosen for the measurements because their walls are transparent to laser light. The fiber tip (velocity sensor) was fixed on the vessel surface with a drop of cyanoacrylate when good-quality Doppler signals were consistently observed. Additional experiments with three dogs were performed to observe the blood velocities in the atrial artery and vein during arrhythmia. The blood velocity waveform in the artery was similar to the pattern of aortic pressure during ventricular ejection (peak velocity, 18.8±7.8 cm/sec) but was characterized by a pronounced dip during atrial contraction. The temporal coincidence between the dip formation and atrial contraction was confirmed during atrial flutter with an atrioventricular block. After isoproterenol administration (2 fig i.v.), the acceleration rate of the forward flow velocity increased by 176% (p<0.05), and reverse flow appeared during atrial contraction in five cases out of eight (p=0.013). The blood flow velocity in atrial small veins, on the other hand, was predominant during atrial contraction (peak velocity, 15.6±5.8 cm/sec). Isoproterenol increased the acceleration rate of this forward flow velocity by 121% (/><0.01). Nitroglycerin did not change the blood velocity waveform significantly in atrial arteries or in veins. The phase opposition between arterial inflow into and venous outflow from the atrial myocardium indicates that a large portion of the coronary inflow to the atrial myocardium may be stored due to the presence of atrial myocardial vascular capacitance. We conclude that atrial myocardial contraction impedes atrial inflow and promotes venous outflow from atrial capacitance vessels.

Physiological hypotheses-Intramyocardial pressure. A new concept, suggestions for measurement

“…Ashikawa et al (10) found that flow velocity in systole reverses in areas where the intramyocardial pressure is supposed to be negligible, the epicardial arteries and veins. Kajiya et al (36) found in small arterial vessels in the dog that flow velocity was not consistently linked to arterial pressure (their Figs. 6 and 9).…”

Coronary microcirculation in the beating heart

“…We measured the blood velocity waveforms of LV by an optical fiber sensor of our laser Doppler velocimeter [23,26]. The fiber sensor was attached to a small vessel by cyanoacrylate so that the fiber sensor follows vascular motion on the beating canine heart.…”

Transmural distribution of myocardial blood perfusion and phasic coronary blood flow pattern in a canine model of acute ischemia

“…In the phasic coronary blood flow pattern of the RCA, the systolic flow had the highest correlation with the transmural distribution of myocardial blood perfusion in the left atrium. Skalidis et al [7] and Kajiya et al [25] also reported a predominant systolic pattern of coronary arterial flow to the left atrium. The lower intraluminal pressure in the atrial artery and the thickness of the atrial wall contributes to the results.…”