Pressure-flow and volume-flow relationships of the systemic circulation of the dog

Mean systemic pressure-flow (Ps-Q) and volume-flow (V-Q) relationships of the systemic vascular bed were determined in two groups of dogs anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital (group I) and with methoxyflurane (group II). All blood returning to the heart (Q) was removed from the right atrial appendage and passed through a Starling resistor, a pump, a flowmeter , and then returned directly into the pulmonary artery. Ps was estimated from plateau values of right atrial pressure obtained during stop-flow procedures. Both the Ps-Q and V-Q relationships were nonlinear. This nonlinearity may be attributed to a redistribution of blood flow between systemic vascular compartments of unequal time constants. With group II, the Ps-Q and V-Q curves were shifted markedly to the right along the Ps and V axes, respectively. Evidence is presented which suggests that this shift was due to an effective back pressure other than right atrial pressure produced by a hepatic waterfall. The beta-adrenergic antagonist practolol increased the effective back pressure and augmented the shift in the Ps-Q and V-Q curves.