The effect of oxygen on arteriolar red cell velocity and capillary density in the rat cremaster muscle

Altitude, Exercise, and Skeletal Muscle Angio-Adaptive Responses to Hypoxia: A Complex Story

Hypoxia, defined as a reduced oxygen availability, can be observed in many tissues in response to various physiological and pathological conditions. As a hallmark of the altitude environment, ambient hypoxia results from a drop in the oxygen pressure in the atmosphere with elevation. A hypoxic stress can also occur at the cellular level when the oxygen supply through the local microcirculation cannot match the cells’ metabolic needs. This has been suggested in contracting skeletal myofibers during physical exercise. Regardless of its origin, ambient or exercise-induced, muscle hypoxia triggers complex angio-adaptive responses in the skeletal muscle tissue. These can result in the expression of a plethora of angio-adaptive molecules, ultimately leading to the growth, stabilization, or regression of muscle capillaries. This remarkable plasticity of the capillary network is referred to as angio-adaptation. It can alter the capillary-to-myofiber interface, which represent an important determinant of skeletal muscle function. These angio-adaptive molecules can also be released in the circulation as myokines to act on distant tissues. This review addresses the respective and combined potency of ambient hypoxia and exercise to generate a cellular hypoxic stress in skeletal muscle. The major skeletal muscle angio-adaptive responses to hypoxia so far described in this context will be discussed, including existing controversies in the field. Finally, this review will highlight the molecular complexity of the skeletal muscle angio-adaptive response to hypoxia and identify current gaps of knowledges in this field of exercise and environmental physiology.

Hyperoxia does not affect oxygen delivery in healthy volunteers while causing a decrease in sublingual perfusion

Objective

To determine the human dose‐response relationship between a stepwise increase in arterial oxygen tension and its associated changes in DO₂ and sublingual microcirculatory perfusion.

Methods

Fifteen healthy volunteers breathed increasing oxygen fractions for 10 minutes to reach arterial oxygen tensions of baseline (breathing air), 20, 40, 60 kPa, and max kPa (breathing oxygen). Systemic hemodynamics were measured continuously by the volume‐clamp method. At the end of each period, the sublingual microcirculation was assessed by SDF.

Results

Systemic DO₂ was unchanged throughout the study (P_slope = .8). PVD decreased in a sigmoidal fashion (max −15% while breathing oxygen, SD18, P_slope = .001). CI decreased linearly (max −10%, SD10, P_slope < .001) due to a reduction in HR (max −10%, SD7, P_slope = .009). There were no changes in stroke volume or MAP. Most changes became apparent above an arterial oxygen tension of 20 kPa.

Conclusions

In healthy volunteers, supraphysiological arterial oxygen tensions have no effect on systemic DO₂. Sublingual microcirculatory PVD decreased in a dose‐dependent fashion. All hemodynamic changes appear negligible up to an arterial oxygen tension of 20 kPa.

Arteriolar oxygen reactivity: where is the sensor and what is the mechanism of action?

Arterioles in the peripheral microcirculation are exquisitely sensitive to changes in PO2 in their environment: increases in PO2 cause vasoconstriction while decreases in PO2 result in vasodilatation. However, the cell type that senses O2 (the O2 sensor) and the signalling pathway that couples changes in PO2 to changes in arteriolar tone (the mechanism of action) remain unclear. Many (but not all) ex vivo studies of isolated cannulated resistance arteries and large, first-order arterioles support the hypothesis that these vessels are intrinsically sensitive to PO2 with the smooth muscle, endothelial cells, or red blood cells serving as the O2 sensor. However, in situ studies testing these hypotheses in downstream arterioles have failed to find evidence of intrinsic O2 sensitivity, and instead have supported the idea that extravascular cells sense O2 . Similarly, ex vivo studies of isolated, cannulated resistance arteries and large first-order arterioles support the hypotheses that O2 -dependent inhibition of production of vasodilator cyclooxygenase products or O2 -dependent destruction of nitric oxide mediates O2 reactivity of these upstream vessels. In contrast, most in vivo studies of downstream arterioles have disproved these hypotheses and instead have provided evidence supporting the idea that O2 -dependent production of vasoconstrictors mediates arteriolar O2 reactivity, with significant regional heterogeneity in the specific vasoconstrictor involved. Oxygen-induced vasoconstriction may serve as a protective mechanism to reduce the oxidative burden to which a tissue is exposed, a process that is superimposed on top of the local mechanisms which regulate tissue blood flow to meet a tissue's metabolic demand.

Bang-bang model for regulation of local blood flow

The classical model of metabolic regulation of blood flow in muscle tissue implies the maintenance of basal tone in arterioles of resting muscle and their dilation in response to exercise and/or tissue hypoxia via the evoked production of vasodilator metabolites by myocytes. A century-long effort to identify specific metabolites responsible for explaining active and reactive hyperemia has not been successful. Furthermore, the metabolic theory is not compatible with new knowledge on the role of physiological radicals (e.g., nitric oxide, NO, and superoxide anion, O2 (-) ) in the regulation of microvascular tone. We propose a model of regulation in which muscle contraction and active hyperemia are considered the physiologically normal state. We employ the "bang-bang" or "on/off" regulatory model which makes use of a threshold and hysteresis; a float valve to control the water level in a tank is a common example of this type of regulation. Active bang-bang regulation comes into effect when the supply of oxygen and glucose exceeds the demand, leading to activation of membrane NADPH oxidase, release of O2 (-) into the interstitial space and subsequent neutralization of the interstitial NO. Switching arterioles on/off when local blood flow crosses the threshold is realized by a local cell circuit with the properties of a bang-bang controller, determined by its threshold, hysteresis, and dead-band. This model provides a clear and unambiguous interpretation of the mechanism to balance tissue demand with a sufficient supply of nutrients and oxygen.

Overexpression of manganese superoxide dismutase ameliorates high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance in rat skeletal muscle

Elevated mitochondrial reactive oxygen species have been suggested to play a causative role in some forms of muscle insulin resistance. However, the extent of their involvement in the development of diet-induced insulin resistance remains unclear. To investigate, manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), a key mitochondrial-specific enzyme with antioxidant modality, was overexpressed, and the effect on in vivo muscle insulin resistance induced by a high-fat (HF) diet in rats was evaluated. Male Wistar rats were maintained on chow or HF diet. After 3 wk, in vivo electroporation (IVE) of MnSOD expression and empty vectors was undertaken in right and left tibialis cranialis (TC) muscles, respectively. After one more week, insulin action was evaluated using hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp, and tissues were subsequently analyzed for antioxidant enzyme capacity and markers of oxidative stress. MnSOD mRNA was overexpressed 4.5-fold, and protein levels were increased by 70%, with protein detected primarily in the mitochondrial fraction of muscle fibers. This was associated with elevated MnSOD and glutathione peroxidase activity, indicating that the overexpressed MnSOD was functionally active. The HF diet significantly reduced whole body and TC muscle insulin action, whereas overexpression of MnSOD in HF diet animals ameliorated this reduction in TC muscle glucose uptake by 50% (P < 0.05). Decreased protein carbonylation was seen in MnSOD overexpressing TC muscle in HF-treated animals (20% vs. contralateral control leg, P < 0.05), suggesting that this effect was mediated through an altered redox state. Thus interventions causing elevation of mitochondrial antioxidant activity may offer protection against diet-induced insulin resistance in skeletal muscle.

pO(2) and ROS/RNS measurements in the microcirculation in hypoxia

We expose methods for in vivo assessment of oxygen, nitric oxide (NO), and reactive oxygen species (ROS)/reactive nitrogen species (RNS), in the microcirculation during normoxia and hypoxia. We provide an example of the related mechanisms of ROS/RNS and oxygen level in the process of regulating capillary perfusion. Namely, we discuss the real time pO(2) measurements in vivo in the microvessels and tissues of the hamster cheek pouch and window chamber preparations during normoxia and hypoxia, as well as the corresponding changes in ROS/RNS in systemic blood during normoxia and hypoxia under conditions where NO availability is maximally reduced.

Oxygen pressures in the interstitial space of skeletal muscle and tumors in vivo

A new Oxyphor (Oxyphor G3) has been used to selectively determine the oxygen pressure in interstitial (pericellular) spaces. Oxyphor G3 is a Pd-tetrabenzoporphyrin, encapsulated inside generation 2 poly-arylglycine (AG) dendrimer, and therefore is a true near infrared oxygen sensor, having a strong absorption band at 636nm and emission near 800nm. The periphery of the dendrimer is modified with oligoethylene glycol residues (Av. MW 350) to make the probe water soluble and biologically inert. Oxyphor G3 was injected along "tracks" in the tissue using a small needle (30gage or less) and remained in the pericellular space, allowing oxygen measurements for several hours with a single injection. The oxygen pressure distributions (histograms) were compared with those for Oxyphor G2 in the intravascular (blood plasma) space. In normal muscle, in the lower oxygen pressure region of the histograms (capillary bed) the oxygen pressure difference was small. At higher oxygen pressures in the histograms there were differences consistent with the presence of high flow vessels with oxygen pressures substantially above those of the surrounding interstitial space. In tumors, the oxygen pressures in the two spaces were similar but with large differences among tumors. In mice, anesthesia with ketamine plus xylazine markedly decreased oxygen pressures in the interstitial and intravascular spaces compared to awake or isoflurane anesthetized mice.

A computational model that links non-periodic vasomotion to enhanced oxygenation in skeletal muscle

We propose a model of a capillary network in which chaotic capillary activity is crucial for efficient oxygenation of a muscle fiber. Tissue oxygenation by microcirculation is controlled by a complex pattern of opening and closing of precapillary sphincters, a phenomenon known as vasomotion. We model the individual precapillary sphincter as a non-linear oscillator that exhibits perfectly periodic vasomotion in isolation. The precapillary sphincters surrounding an active fiber are considered as a network; specific modes of interaction within this network result in complex patterns of vasomotion. In our model, efficient oxygenation of the fiber depends crucially on the mode of interaction among the vasomotions of the individual capillaries. Network interactions that lead to chaotic vasomotion are found to be essential for meeting the tissue oxygen demands precisely. Interactions that cause regular rhythmic patterns of vasomotion fail to meet oxygenation demands accurately.

Effect of chaotic vasomotion in skeletal muscle on tissue oxygenation

Vasomotion refers to spontaneous variations in the lumen size of small vessels, with a plausible role in regulation of various aspects of microcirculation. We propose a computational model of vasomotion in skeletal muscle in which the pattern of vasomotion is shown to critically determine the efficiency of oxygenation of a muscle fiber. In this model, precapillary sphincters are modeled as nonlinear oscillators. We hypothesize that these sphincters interact via exchange of vasoactive substances. As a consequence, vasomotion is described as a phenomenon associated with a network of nonlinear oscillators. As a specific instance, we model the vasomotion of precapillary sphincters surrounding an active fiber. The sphincters coordinate their rhythms so as to minimize oxygen deficit in the fiber. Our modeling studies indicate that efficient oxygenation of the fiber depends crucially on the mode of interaction among the vasomotions of individual sphincters. While chaotic forms of vasomotion enhanced oxygenation, regular patterns of vasomotion failed to meet the oxygenation demand accurately.

The relative contributions of compression and hypoxia to development of muscle tissue damage: an in vitro study

Deep pressure ulcers develop in tissues subjected to sustained mechanical loading. Though it has been hypothesized that this damage mechanism results from local tissue ischemia, it has recently been shown with a cell model that sustained compression can cause cell deformation, leading to tissue breakdown. The present study focuses on the assessment of cell viability during compression and ischemia in an in vitro muscle model to determine their relative contributions to damage development. A model system was developed consisting of engineered skeletal muscle produced from the culture of murine muscle cells in a collagen gel. The tissue was subjected to 0, 20, or 40% compression under hypoxic or normoxic conditions. Experiments were performed on the stage of a microscope and cell viability was monitored using fluorescent markers for apoptotic and necrotic cell death. Hypoxia did not lead to significant cell death over a 22 h period. By contrast, compression led to immediate cell death that increased with time. No additional effect of hypoxia on cell death was observed. These data show that contrary to existing theories, compression can cause development of muscle damage and that hypoxia does not contribute to cell death development within 22 h in engineered muscle.

Oxygen pressures in the interstitial space and their relationship to those in the blood plasma in resting skeletal muscle

This study compared oxygen pressures (Po(2)), measured by oxygen-dependent quenching of phosphorescence, in the intravascular (blood plasma) space in the muscle with those in the interstitial (pericellular) space. Our hypothesis was that the capillary wall would not significantly impede oxygen diffusion from the blood plasma to the pericellular space. A new near-infrared oxygen sensitive probe, Oxyphor G3, was used to obtain oxygen distributions in the interstitial space. Oxyphor G3 is a Pd-tetrabenzoporphyrin encapsulated inside generation 2 poly-arylglycine (AG) dendrimer. The periphery of the dendrimer is modified with oligoethylene glycol residues (average molecular weight 350) to make the probe water soluble and biologically inert. Oxyphor G3 was injected into thigh muscle using a 30-gauge needle. Histograms of the Po(2) in the interstitial space were measured in awake and anesthetized animals and compared with those for Oxyphor G2 in the intravascular (blood plasma) space. For awake mice, the lowest 10% of Po(2) values for the interstitial and intravascular spaces (believed to represent capillary bed) were not significantly different [23.8 (SD 4.5) and 25 Torr (SD 4.3), respectively], whereas, in isoflurane-anesthetized mice, there was a small but significant (P = 0.01) difference [20.4 (SD 6.3) and 27.9 Torr (SD 3.5), respectively]. The peak values for the histograms for the interstitial space in awake and isoflurane-anesthetized mice were 40.8 (SD 7.5) and 36.9 Torr (SD 8.3), respectively, whereas those for the intravascular space were 52.2 (SD 4.9) and 55.9 Torr (SD 8.4), respectively, showing no significant difference due to isoflurane anesthesia. The histograms for the intravascular space were significantly wider, with more contribution at higher Po(2) values. A different anesthetic, ketamine plus xylazine injected intraperitoneally, caused a marked decrease in the tissue Po(2) values in both spaces, with the time course and extent of the decrease dependent on the time after injection and variable among mice. It was, therefore, not further used.

Arterioles' contribution to oxygen supply to the skeletal muscles at rest

We tested the hypothesis that oxygen is supplied to the resting skeletal muscle by arterioles rather than by capillaries. This hypothesis was evaluated in rats and rabbits by combining different approaches (1) determination of the intravascular oxygen tension (PO2) in arterioles of different diameters, (2) measurement of the perfused capillary number in response to changes in tissue PO2, and (3) estimation of the optimum capillary number to provide oxygen efficiently to the surrounding tissue. The intravascular PO2 values of arterioles along the vessels decreased downstream, suggesting that a significant amount of oxygen diffuses from the arterioles to the surrounding tissue. The perfused capillary number decreased as the tissue PO2 level was elevated, and this mutual relationship displayed a nonlinear correlation. The results suggest that a boundary PO2 level affecting the capillary recruitment exists for tissue PO2 of less than 40 mmHg with the capillary blood-flow stops above that PO2 level. At a high PO2 level, therefore, the oxygen is supplied from the arterioles. Furthermore, an estimation of optimum capillary number reveals that the capillary arrangement is constructed to achieve sufficient oxygen supply to the muscle during exercise, rather than at rest. These results suggest that oxygen is supplied from arterioles to the resting skeletal muscle, whereas the oxygen is supplied from the capillaries during exercise.

Nitric oxide regulation of microvascular oxygen exchange during hypoxia and hyperoxia

The objective of this work was to test the hypothesis that the limitation of nitric oxide (NO) availability accentuates microvascular reactivity to oxygen. The awake hamster chamber window model was rendered hypoxic and hyperoxic by ventilation with 10 and 100% oxygen. Systemic and microvascular parameters were determined in the two conditions and compared with normoxia in a group receiving the NO scavenger nitronyl nitroxide and a control group receiving only the vehicle (saline). Mean arterial blood pressure did not change with different gas mixtures during infusion of the vehicle, but it increased significantly in the NO-depleted group. NO scavenging increased the reactivity of microvessels to the changed oxygen supply, causing the arteriolar wall to significantly increase oxygen consumption. Tissue Po2 was correspondingly significantly reduced during NO scavenger infusion. The present findings support the hypothesis that microvascular oxygen consumption is proportional to oxygen-induced vasoconstriction. The effect of oxygen on vascular tone is modulated by NO. As a consequence, NO acts as a regulator of the vessel wall oxygen consumption. The vessel wall consumes oxygen in proportion to the local Po2, and an impairment of NO availability renders the circulation more sensitive to changes in the oxygen supply.

Nonlinear Regulation of Capillary Perfusion in Relation to Ambient pO2 Changes in Skeletal Muscle

To study the process of O(2) transport to tissue, we investigated how capillary perfusion is controlled in response to changes in tissue O(2) levels in skeletal muscle. Capillary red blood cell (RBC) velocity and perfused capillary recruitment were measured in rabbit tenuissimus muscle at various ambient oxygen tensions (pO(2)) by intravital microscopy. Both RBC velocity and capillary recruitment significantly decreased as the pO(2) level of the suffusate was increased, and the relationship between capillary perfusion, calculated from the velocity and recruitment data, and the pO(2) level of the suffusate clearly yielded a nonlinear correlation that fitted a sigmoidal curve. Capillary perfusion dramatically decreases or increases above or below a suffusate pO(2) level of around 40 Torr, where the O(2) dissociation curve of hemoglobin changes slope. These findings support the hypothesis that microvasculature possesses an intrinsic, effective flow-control mechanism by sensing the metabolic demands of tissue, intimately related to the O(2) saturation of hemoglobin.

Effect of acute hypoxia on microcirculatory and tissue oxygen levels in rat cremaster muscle

Repeated exposure to brief periods of hypoxia leads to pathophysiological changes in experimental animals similar to those seen in sleep apnea. To determine the effects of such exposure on oxygen levels in vivo, we used an optical method to measure Po2in microcirculatory vessels and tissue of the rat cremaster muscle during a 1-min step reduction of inspired oxygen fraction from 0.21 to 0.07. Under control conditions, Po2was 98.1 ± 1.9 Torr in arterial blood, 52.2 ± 2.8 Torr in 29.0 ± 2.7-μm arterioles, 26.8 ± 1.7 Torr in the tissue interstitium near venous capillaries, and 35.1 ± 2.6 Torr in 29.7 ± 1.9-μm venules. The initial fall in Po2during hypoxia was significantly greater in arterial blood, being 93% complete in the first 10 s, whereas it was 68% complete in arterioles, 47% at the tissue sites, and 38% in venules. In the 10- to 30-s period, the fall in normalized tissue and venular Po2was significantly greater than in arterial Po2. At the end of hypoxic exposure, Po2at all measurement sites had fallen very nearly in proportion to that in the inspired gas, but tissue oxygen levels did not reach critical Po2. Significant differences in oxyhemoglobin desaturation rate were also observed between arterial and microcirculatory vessels during hypoxia. In conclusion, the fall in microcirculatory and tissue oxygen levels in resting skeletal muscle is significantly slower than in arterial blood during a step reduction to an inspired oxygen fraction of 0.07, and tissue Po2does not reach anaerobic levels.

Oxygen gradients in the microcirculation

As arterialized blood transits from the central circulation to the periphery, oxygen exits through the vessel walls driven by radial oxygen gradients that extend from the red blood cell column, through the plasma, the vessel wall, and the parenchymal tissue. This exit determines a longitudinal gradient of blood oxygen saturation whose extent is inversely related to the level of metabolic activity of the tissue, being small for the brain and considerable for skeletal muscle at rest where hemoglobin is only half-saturated with oxygen when blood arrives to the capillaries. Data obtained by a variety of methods show that the oxygen loss is too great to be explained by diffusion alone, and oxygen gradients measured in the arteriolar wall provide evidence that this structure in vivo is a very large oxygen sink, and suggests a rate of oxygen consumption two orders of magnitude greater than seen in in vitro studies. Longitudinal gradients in the capillary network and radial gradients in surrounding tissue also show a dependence on the metabolic rate of the tissue, being more pronounced in brain than in resting skeletal muscle and mesentery. Mean PO2 values increase from the postcapillary venules to the distal vessels of this network while radial gradients indicate additional oxygen loss. This circumstance may be due to pathways with higher flow having higher oxygen content than low flow pathways as well as possible oxygen uptake from adjacent arterioles. Taken together, these newer findings on oxygen gradients in the microcirculation require a reexamination of existing concepts of oxygen delivery to tissue and the role of the capillaries in this process.

Capillary recruitment in response to tissue hypoxia and its dependence on red blood cell deformability

The effect of reduced red blood cell (RBC) deformability on microvessel recruitment attendant to a reduction in tissue PO2 was studied in rat cremaster muscle using indicator-dilution techniques. Transit times (TT) of fluorescently labeled RBCs (TTRBC) and plasma (TTPl) between functionally paired arterioles and venules were obtained from their dispersion throughout the microvascular network. Changes in PO2 were effected by superfusing the tissue with Ringer solution deoxygenated to different levels. Arteriolar blood flow (Q) was measured with the two-slit technique, and the vascular volume (V) occupied by RBCs and plasma was computed from the product of Q x TT during bolus infusions of rat and less deformable human RBCs to obtain VRBC and fluorescently labeled albumin to obtain VPl. Measurements of TTRBC and TTPl permitted computation of an average flow-weighted tissue (microvascular) hematocrit (HM) relative to systemic values (HS). During infusions of autologous rat RBCs, Q and total V increased threefold in response to hypoxia, whereas normalized RBC TT (TTRBC/TTPl) and normalized tissue hematocrit (HM/HS) did not show a significant trend, indicating an increase in the number of pathways through which the RBCs can traverse the network because of spatial recruitment of capillaries. In contrast, during infusions of human RBCs, TTRBC/TTPl and HM/HS decreased significantly in response to hypoxia. Although Q exhibited an increase similar to that during rat RBC infusions, VRBC exhibited a smaller increase compared with VPl, suggesting that reduced RBC deformability leads to a redistribution of RBCs through larger-diameter pathways within the network and exclusion of these RBCs from pathways normally recruited during hypoxia. Hence, reduced RBC deformability may adversely affect capillary recruitment and physiological mechanisms that ensure adequate delivery of oxygen to tissue.

Critical PO(2) of skeletal muscle in vivo

The main purpose of this study was to determine the interstitial oxygen tension at which aerobic metabolism becomes limited (critical PO(2)) in vivo in resting skeletal muscle. Using an intravital microscope system, we determined the interstitial oxygen tension at 20-micrometer-diameter tissue sites in rat spinotrapezius muscle from the phosphorescence lifetime decay of a metalloporphyrin probe during a 1-min stoppage of muscle blood flow. In paired experiments NADH fluorescence was measured at the same sites during flow stoppage. NADH fluorescence rose significantly above control when interstitial PO(2) fell to 2.9 +/- 0.5 mmHg (n = 13) and was not significantly different (2.4 +/- 0.5 mmHg) when the two variables were first averaged for all sites and then compared. Similar values were obtained using the abrupt change in rate of PO(2) decline as the criterion for critical PO(2). With a similar protocol, we determined that NADH rose significantly at a tissue site centered 30 micrometer from a collecting venule when intravascular PO(2) fell to 7.2 +/- 1.5 mmHg. The values for critical interstitial and critical intravascular PO(2) are well below those reported during free blood flow in this and in other muscle preparations, suggesting that oxygen delivery is regulated at levels well above the minimum required for oxidative metabolism. The extracellular critical PO(2) found in this study is slightly greater than previously found in vitro, possibly due to differing local conditions rather than a difference in metabolic set point for the mitochondria.

In vivo demonstration of red cell-endothelial interaction, sickling and altered microvascular response to oxygen in the sickle transgenic mouse

Intravascular sickling, red cell-endothelium interaction, and altered microvascular responses have been suggested to contribute to the pathophysiology of human sickle cell disease, but have never been demonstrated under in vivo flow. To address this issue, we have examined a transgenic mouse line, alphaHbetaSbetaS-Antilles [betaMDD] which has a combined high (78%) expression of beta S and beta S-Antilles globins. In vivo microcirculatory studies using the cremaster muscle preparation showed adhesion of red cells, restricted to postcapillary venules, in transgenic mice but not in control mice. Electron microscopy revealed distinct contacts between the red cell membrane and the endothelium surface. Some red cells exhibiting sickling were regularly observed in the venular flow. Infusion of transgenic mouse red cells into the ex vivo mesocecum vasculature also showed adhesion of mouse red cells exclusively in venules. Under resting conditions (pO2, 15-20 mmHg), there were no differences in the cremaster microvascular diameters of control and transgenic mice; however, transgenic mice showed a drastic reduction in microvascular red cell velocities (Vrbc) with maximal Vrbc decrease (> 60%) occurring in venules, the sites of red cell adhesion and sickling. Local, transient hyperoxia (pO2, 150 mmHg) resulted in striking differences between control and transgenic mice. In controls, oxygen caused a 69% arteriolar constriction, accompanied by 75% reduction in Vrbc. In contrast, in transgenic mice, hyperoxia resulted in only 8% decrease in the arteriolar diameter and in 68% increase in VrBC; the latter is probably due to an improved flow behavior of red cells as a consequence of unsickling. In summary, the high expression of human sickle hemoglobin in the mouse results not only in intravascular sickling but also red cell-endothelium interaction. The altered microvascular response to oxygen could be secondary to blood rheological changes, although possible intrinsic differences in the endothelial cell/vascular smooth muscle function in the transgenic mouse may also contribute. These sickle transgenic mice could serve as a useful model to investigate vasoocclusive mechanisms, as well as to test potential therapies.

Red blood cell flow cessation and diameter reductions in skeletal muscle capillaries in vivo - the role of oxygen

When perfusion pressure is reduced, red blood cell flow in the capillaries of skeletal muscle ceases at a positive pressure difference across the vascular bed, while arterioles dilate and venules are not constricted. This flow cessation (i.e., cessation of red blood cell flow) and luminal diameter changes in capillaries following femoral arterial pressure reduction were investigated in the rabbit tenuissimus muscle in situ (n = 42) using intravital video microscopy. Arterial pressure was reduced by occlusion of the aorta distal to the renal arteries. During the experiments, leg and muscle were placed in a sealed box. The muscle was exposed to low PO2 by leading a gas mixture deprived of O2 through the box. Locally at the muscle surface, i.e., under the microscope objective, PO2 was varied by varying the PO2 in the superfusion solution. In all experiments, the remainder of the muscle was kept at low (< 20 mm Hg) PO2. The incidence of flow cessation was virtually zero at low local (< 20 mm Hg) PO2 and became almost 100% at local values above 70 mm Hg. Initial equivalent capillary diameters were 3.1-5.8 microm (median 4.0 microm) and did not correlate with local O2 tension. During aorta occlusion, capillary diameters significantly (P < 0.0001) decreased by a median value of 8% at all local PO2 values; in 14 out of 54 capillaries local diameter became less than 2.8 microm. The extent of diameter reduction did not correlate with PO2. In the 14 capillaries in which the diameter became less than 2.8 microm flow cessation occurred in only four cases. The minimal diameter reached was always at the site of an endothelial nucleus. The capillary diameter reductions are probably due to passive recoil. In the 48 capillaries in which flow ceased, only in four cases did a red blood cell stop at the site of the nucleus. We conclude that capillary diameter reductions (local and generalized) lead to a considerable increase in capillary resistance which contributes to the occurrence of flow cessation but cannot solely explain it.

In vivo analysis of microvascular reperfusion injury in striated muscle and skin

The use of intravital fluorescence microscopy in the models of the hamster dorsal skin fold chamber and the ear of the hairless mouse allows for the quantitative analysis of post-ischemic microvascular reperfusion injury in striated muscle and skin. Prolonged periods of ischemia (4 hours in striated muscle and 6 hours in skin) are associated with 1) perfusion failure of nutritive capillaries at the onset of reperfusion (no-reflow) and 2) activation, accumulation and microvascular adherence of white blood cells, formation of reactive oxygen metabolites and release of potent mediators (leukotrienes, platelet-activating factor) with the consequence of increased microvascular permeability due to the loss of endothelial integrity, interstitial edema and cell damage (reflow-paradox). Prophylactic and/or therapeutic regimens may, therefore, include improvement of capillary perfusion by hemodilution, and inhibition of leukocyte adherence, radical formation and mediator release by appropriate counteracting compounds, including anti-oxidants, antibodies directed against adhesion molecules, leukotriene synthesis inhibitors and platelet-activating factor receptor antagonists.

Contribution of capillary recruitment to regulation of tissue oxygenation in rat cremaster muscle

Microvascular regulation of tissue oxygenation can be thought of as being accomplished through the interaction of two basic mechanisms: (1) control of tissue blood flow rate (rate of O2 convection) and (2) control of oxygen diffusion distance by alterations in intercapillary distance (exchange control or capillary recruitment). The purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of the capillary recruitment mechanism to regulation of tissue oxygenation in response to alterations in the tissue perfusion pressure under varying prevailing local PO2 conditions. The cremaster muscle of anesthetized rats (Nembutal, 50 mg/kg, ip) was surgically exposed and maintained in a controlled bath environment for in vivo television microscopy. Intercapillary distances (ICD) between flowing capillaries within the cremaster were measured directly on the face of a TV monitor. The effects of alterations in tissue oxygenation on the ICD were determined by controlling the PO2 of the cremaster bath solution at different levels: high PO2 (approx. 73 mm Hg), intermediate PO2 (approx. 21 mm Hg) or low PO2 (approx. 8 mm Hg). The ICD responses to alterations in perfusion pressure were determined with both the low and the high bath PO2 levels by reducing the cremaster perfusion pressure using a servo-controlled occluder placed around the sacral aorta. Reductions of bath PO2 significantly reduced the mean ICD and resulted in significant alterations in the shape of the ICD distribution, leading to a more homogeneous form. The mean ICD was also significantly reduced in response to reduced perfusion pressure, and the relative ICD reduction was more pronounced when the prevailing bath PO2 was high. These results support the concept of a shifting locus of vasoregulation with changing tissue metabolism, with control shifting toward the terminal precapillary portions of the microvascular network when metabolic stresses are reduced.

Capillary rarefaction characteristic of the skeletal muscle of hypertensive patients

There is evidence that the rarefaction of the capillary bed is typical for the skeletal muscle of spontaneously hypertensive rats. We were therefore interested to learn whether there is also a rarefaction in skeletal muscle of human hypertensives. The number of capillaries was morphometrically analysed and counted in the quadriceps and the pectoralis major muscles of human normotensives (n = 12) and hypertensives (n = 15). The clinical diagnosis and certain pathological criteria, such as blood pressure (with or without antihypertensive therapy), heart weight, left ventricular wall thickness, the state of kidney arterioles and brain, and heart vessels, were used to classify the patients into two groups. The dissected tissue samples were prepared according to the GMA method and the capillary numbers per area were counted using light microscopy (250 x). The quadriceps muscle had a capillary density (per 2.5 mm2) of 442 +/- 51 in normotensives and 277 +/- 41 in hypertensive patients; in the pectoralis major muscle we counted 477 +/- 30 in controls and 232 +/- 28 in hypertensives. The rarefaction in the quadriceps muscle ranged by about 37%, in the pectoralis major muscle by about 51%. It is suggested that the reduction of the capillary surface area caused by the capillary rarefaction reduces the transcapillary fluid exchange and in that way prevents an overperfusion of the terminal vascular bed.

Stimulation of angiogenesis by adenosine on the chick chorioallantoic membrane

The effect of adenosine on the vascular density of the chick chorioallantoic membrane was studied. Elvax polymer pellets containing 0.2-3.0 mg of adenosine were placed on the chorioallantoic membrane of 10-day embryos. Control pellets containing mannitol were placed at least 1 cm away. After 4 days the membrane was formalin-fixed and removed. A thin plastic coverslip, inscribed with concentric circles (4-8 mm in diameter), was placed over the pellet. A vascular density index was estimated at 20 X by counting the number of intercepts between vessels and the inscribed circles. Adenosine stimulated a dose-dependent increase (p less than 0.01) in the vascular density index with the 3-mg pellets inducing a 15% increase. Inosine, a major metabolite of adenosine, did not cause a change in the number of intercepts counted. The adenosine-stimulated increase in vascularity was blocked with 110 micrograms of methyl-isobutyl-xanthine injected daily into the albumin. Partial inhibition was observed with 55 micrograms/day. Methyl-isobutyl-xanthine by itself did not affect the vascular density index. Dipyridamole enhanced adenosine's stimulation of vascular growth an additional 52%. Given alone, however, it had no effect on the membrane's vascularity. These data support an angiogenic role for adenosine. The modest, but consistent, increase in the vascular density index stimulated by adenosine, and the fact that it may be released during tissue hypoxia, is consistent with an hypothesis that this nucleoside plays a modulatory role in vessel proliferation accompanying conditions of long-term hypoxia.

Microcirculatory responses to carotid sinus nerve stimulation at various ambient O2 tension in the rabbit tenuissimus muscle

To quantify the integrated effects of local and central control mechanisms through tissue metabolites and the autonomic nervous system on the peripheral vascular beds, microcirculatory responses to the carotid sinus nerve stimulation at various levels of ambient oxygen tension (PO2) were measured in the rabbit tenuissimus muscle suffused with oxygenated Tyrode solution, using a microscope-TV system. The statistical analysis of the experimental data exhibited that both capillary red cell velocity and perfused capillary density at the control state were significantly decreased as PO2 was elevated (P less than 0.01) and that the stimulation also significantly augmented their values (P less than 0.01) except for the peak velocity data. Regression analysis indicated that both the velocity and density responses to PO2 changes during stimulation were less sensitive than those at the control state. For instance, the vasodilating effect of stimulation on density at PO2 20 mm Hg was enhanced by about four-fold at 80 mm Hg, although the effect on velocity was increased only by 16% with the same PO2 change. From these results, it was concluded that the microcirculatory changes due to the arteriolar smooth muscle contraction evoked by unit sympathetic discharge was significantly influenced by the ambient PO2 level. Such synergistic interaction of the local and central control mechanisms like a series-coupled gain control system was suspected to play an important role in the overall regulation of the microcirculation.

Occurrence of the "capillary contractility" phenomenon and its significance in the distribution of microvascular flow in frog skeletal muscle

The phenomenon of "capillary contractility" was first described more than 100 years ago. Recent reports on this phenomenon in the frog mesentery have been based on the observation of dramatic reductions of luminal diameter and blood flow during electrical stimulation of the capillary wall. The aim of this study was to establish the presence and the occurrence of this phenomenon in the frog sartorius muscle and to evaluate its contribution to the distribution of flow. Eight 1.3 X 1.7-mm areas of the muscle surface in eight anesthetized frogs were visualized by means of a microscope and also video-recorded during stimulation experiments. Microelectrodes and semitransparent surface electrodes introduced constant currents (0.1 to 1.0 microA) or pulse trains (5-msec pulse width, 1 to 64 Hz frequency, -0.2 to -5.4 V amplitude) either to individual capillaries or to whole populations of capillaries situated in these areas. Caution was exercised that stimuli did not cause muscle twitching. Red cell velocity in capillaries was measured from video recordings by the flying spot technique. Microelectrode stimulations caused flow stoppages in 4 out of 60 individual stimulated capillaries. Surface electrode stimulations had practically no effect on the mean red cell velocity in any of these populations but an appreciable effect on individual velocities in 7.5% of all capillaries in these populations. It is concluded that the phenomenon of electrically induced reductions of flow exists in the frog sartorius muscle, but it is scarce. It seems unlikely, therefore, that it represents a major mechanism of flow distribution in this tissue.

Oxygen transport in resting and contracting hamster cremaster muscles: experimental and theoretical microvascular studies

Intravital microscopy of the superfused cremaster muscle was used to measure the density, diameter, length, hematocrit, red cell velocity, and red cell flux in capillaries of the pentobarbital-anesthetized hamster. Oxygen microelectrodes were used to measure oxygen tension (Po2) at a position 75-100 micrometers deep in the muscle between the venous ends of capillaries and, very importantly, at the superfusate-muscle interface. These parameters were measured in resting and contracting muscles and under three values of superfusate Po2: low (8mm Hg), medium (40 mm Hg), and high (75 mm Hg). These data were complete enough to be useful input parameters in a recently developed mathematical model of oxygen transport in exposed tissue (A. S. Popel, 1981, Math. Biosci. 55, 231-246). The model indicated that with high superfusate Po2, oxygen was supplied to the resting muscle almost exclusively from the superfusate because of the vasoconstriction and reduced blood flow. Oxygen consumption of the resting muscle was estimated to be 0.4 ml O2/100 ml tissue X min, assuming muscle oxygen consumption was uniform and independent of Po2 above 1 mm Hg. The estimated rise in oxygen consumption with exercise was four to eight times resting muscle values, which agrees with previously published data. Also, the model predicted an inlet capillary Po2 of 27 mm Hg with a low superfusate Po2, which is consistent with the few available direct measurements. The model emphasized that with measurement of the Po2 at the superfusate-tissue interface, the complex O2 transport effects of the superfusate can be accurately characterized. Measurement of this and other parameters of the model leads to a potentially useful prediction of the Po2 distribution within tissues under a variety of conditions.

Autoregulation of blood flow within individual arterioles in the rat cremaster muscle

Autoregulatory responses to alterations in arterial or venous perfusion pressure were determined for individual arterioles within the rat cremaster muscle. The cremaster muscle of pentobarbital anesthetized rats (50 mg/kg, ip) was surgically exposed and maintained in a controlled tissue bath for visualization by in vitro television microscopy. Cremaster bath PO2 was controlled at either a high (approximately 70 mm Hg) or low (approximately 19 mm Hg) level. Inside diameter and red blood cell velocity were measured for individual first (1A), second (2A), or third (3A) branching order arterioles, and instantaneous blood flows within each arteriole were calculated. To measure the autoregulatory responses, we decreased arterial perfusion pressure to the microvascular bed by gradually occluding the sacral aorta. Significant autoregulation was observed in all orders of vessels, but, in general, autoregulation was more pronounced at all vessel levels when bath PO2 was low, and the autoregulatory gain was greater for the smaller vessels compared to the larger vessels. Elevation of venous pressure within the vascular bed by gradual occlusion of the inferior vena cava led to a significant vasoconstriction of the smaller vessels, suggesting that a significant myogenic component was present. The vasoconstriction response to elevated venous pressure was more pronounced when bath PO2 was high. Our data are not consistent with a purely myogenic or purely metabolic mechanism, but suggest that both mechanisms are simultaneously contributing to the local vascular regulation.

Mathematical Modeling of Oxygen Transport Near a Tissue Surface: Effect of the Surface PO2

The effect of the surface oxygen tension on the oxygen-tension distribution in the tissue is considered. A mathematical formulation of the problem is presented, and the solutions are obtained numerically using a finite-element method. It is shown that the oxygen tension at the surface of the tissue may significantly affect the oxygen-tension distribution in layers of tissue situated within several intercapillary distances below the surface.

Technical report--a new chamber technique for microvascular studies in unanesthetized hamsters

An experimental model was designed for direct, quantitative studies of hemodynamic and morphologic parameters in the microcirculation. It consists of implanting a modified Algire chamber in the dorsal skin flap of hamsters and the implementation of two permanent catheters in jugular vein and carotid artery. The microcirculation was studied using intravital microscopy and television techniques for in situ measurements of blood cell velocity and vascular diameters. Due to the poor contrast between blood cells, blood capillaries and surrounding s.c. tissue, microvascular beds were visualized using fluorescent microscopy after i.v. injection of 0.2 ml of 5% FITC-Dextran 150. The combination of optical elements and low amounts of FITC-Dextran improved the contrast of the televised image without changing macro- and micro-hemodynamic parameters, and blood plasma was delineated as bright structure against the substantially darker background of red blood cells and surrounding tissue. This permitted the quantitative study of practically all blood vessels within a given field of s.c. tissue in unanesthetized animals. Blood cell velocity in arterioles was 0.7-1.1 mm/s, 0.2-0.7 mm/s in midcapillaries and reached 0.6 mm/s in collecting venules. Since i.v. injection of drugs and systemic pressure measurements are possible in this model, it provides a unique means for studying the reactivity of the microcirculation over a prolonged period.

Correlative analysis of microcirculatory and cellular metabolic events in skeletal muscle during hemorrhagic shock

Skeletal muscle reactions to hemorrhagic shock were investigated in anesthetized cats (n = 23). The tenuissimus muscle was exposed for vital microscopy and shock was induced by single-withdrawal of 45% of the blood volume. Muscle microcirculation, energy metabolism and cell membrane potentials were followed over a 2 h period along with blood pressure, hematocrit and blood leukocyte, platelet, glucose, pyruvate and lactate contents. Bleeding usually caused complete cessation of muscle blood flow for 5--20 min, while the animal compensated the blood pressure. Reflex constriction occurred in medium-sized but not in terminal arterioles. When flow reappeared a marked maldistribution was evident in the capillary bed. Flow remained in 30--50% of the capillaries, permanently or intermittedly. Leukocytes could be found lodged in many arrested capillaries and also adhering to venules in large numbers. Erythrocyte or platelet plugs were not seen in the muscle microvasculature. Glucose and G6-P contents doubled and lactate increased 5-fold in muscle tissue during shock. CP was reduced by about 25% while the ATP-level remained unchanged. Membrane potentials declined 12% in shock and the spread in potentials from adjacent fibers increased.

Control of tissue environment during vital microscopy of the microcirculation in the m. tenuissimus in cat

The physiological preservation of the tenuissimus muscle preparation in cat during vital microscopy of the microcirculation is assessed, comparing the originally described technique with a modified approach. Differences in the compared techniques include modes of dissection and transillumination, room-air exposure and moisturizing procedures. The original technique involves extensive dissection, inadequate temperature control and irrigation in open air. The modified technique involves less surgery due to a new illumination system, controlled heating and a Mylar foil cover on the preparation to minimize room-air influences. Temperature measurements and analyses of energy metabolism (ATP, CP, glucose, G6-P and lactate) are used as objective criteria of tissue normalcy. The microcirculation and metabolism are evaluated during anesthesia (alpha-chloralose) at rest as well as in hemorrhagic shock. In the resting state, muscle temperature drops to 28 degrees C with the irrigation technique, whereas the Mylar technique keeps the temperature at 34--35 degrees C. Neither technique causes deviations in normal metabolism. In shock, however, the temperature in the irrigated tenuissimus muscle fall 8--9 degrees C below deep muscle temperature and there is a significantly attenuated metabolic response to ischemia, while the Mylar preparation follows the changes of unexposed muscle, both in temperature and metabolism.

Structural differences in the mesentery microcirculation between normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats

The mesentery preparation of normotensive rats (NR) (Pcarotis97 +/- 4 mm Hg) and of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) (161 +/- 2 mm Hg) of comparable age (20 +/- 3 weeks) was used to study morphological changes of the microvasculature in established hypertension. The arterioles, classified according to their branching order, had an increased inner diameter in SHR (by 20%). The smooth muscle hypertrophy decreased with smaller vessel size. Pre- and postcapillary vessels were shorter in SHR than in NR by 17 to 35%. The number of these vessels related to the number of the feeding terminal arterioles was found to be reduced by nearly 50% in SHR. The data suggest a lowered arteriolar flow resistance in individual vessels of the hypertensive group concomitant with a gradually disappearing smooth muscle hypertrophy towards the capillary bed. The elevation of the resistance to blood flow in the hypertensive rats is obviously caused by a reduced number of resistance vessels, as seen in the mesentery vascular bed. Similar results were obtained in the true capillaries, which showed greater inner diameters (SHR vs NR:7.2 micron vs 6.4 micron), shortened lengths (141 vs 170 micron) and a reduced number (50 vs 70). Red cell velocity in true capillaries did not differ (0.51 mm/s vs 0.49 mm/s). Arterio-venous shunt vessels were described with an average inner diameter of 11 micron. In SHR these vessels were shorter (424 vs 654 micron) and increased in number. The 'hydraulic hindrance' of AV-shunt vessels and true capillaries together was decreased in SHR; the surface area did not differ between SHR (55.7 . 10(3) micron2) and NR (50.1 . 10(3) micron2) suggesting no major variation in the exchange functions.