Increased negativity of interstitial fluid pressure during the onset stage of inflammatory edema in rat skin

Abstract

Interstitial fluid pressure (Pif) was measured in skin of pentobarbital-anesthetized rats during anaphylaxis toward dextran and after subdermal injection of histamine by using sharpened glass capillaries (tip diam 5–7 microns) connected to a servo-controlled counterpressure system. Control Pif averaged -1.5 mmHg (SD = 1.0). After intravenous dextran Pif in the rat paw fell transiently to -3 mmHg up to 20 min and thereafter increased to +1-2 mmHg when edema had developed. To study the full magnitude of the increased negativity of Pif, circulatory arrest was induced 1 min after dextran injection. This procedure prevents accumulation of edema that will cause underestimation of Pif. In this group Pif fell to about -10 mmHg in 20 min and remained at this level throughout the observation period of 90 min. Subdermal injection of 1–10 micrograms histamine in 10 microliters saline reduced Pif to about -6 mmHg within 5 min after injection. Injection of 10 microliters saline increased Pif by +2 mmHg. Indomethacin or cyproheptadine did not alter the response in the above situations. The increased negativity in Pif of about 6–8 mmHg will add directly to normal transcapillary net filtration pressure of 0.5 mmHg and increase the latter pressure 10–20 times.