Nutritive blood flow affects microdialysis O/I ratio for [14C]ethanol and3H2O in perfused rat hindlimb

Abstract

Changes in the microdialysis outflow-to-inflow (O/I) ratio for [14C]ethanol and3H2O were determined in the perfused rat hindlimb after increases and decreases in nutritive flow mediated by the vasoconstrictors norepinephrine (NE) and serotonin (5-HT), respectively. Microdialysis probes (containing 10 mM [14C]ethanol and 3H2O pumped at 1 or 2 μl/min) were inserted through the calf of the rat. Hindlimb perfusion flow rate was varied from 6 to 56 ml · min−1 · 100 g−1 in the presence of NE, 5-HT, or saline vehicle. The O/I ratios for both tracers were determined at each perfusion flow rate, as was perfusion pressure, oxygen uptake (a surrogate indicator of nutritive flow), and lactate release. Both tracers showed a decreased O/I ratio as hindlimb perfusion flow was increased, with [14C]ethanol being higher than 3H2O. NE decreased the O/I ratio compared with vehicle, and 5-HT increased it for both tracers and both microdialysis flow rates. We conclude that the microdialysis O/I ratio, while able to detect changes in total flow, is also sensitive to changes in nutritive and nonnutritive flow, where the latter still extracts tracer, but less than the former.