Effects of elevated venous pressure on capillary permeability in cat hindlimbs

We investigated the effects of elevated venous pressure, Pv, (up to 140 mmHg) on the solvent drag reflection coefficient, sigma f, for protein and on the capillary filtration coefficient, CFC, in the isolated cat hindlimb perfused at constant flow. The perfusate contained 30% cat plasma and the remainder was a dialyzed albumin-electrolyte mixture. Cat red cells were added to a hematocrit of approximately 2%. sigma f was measured from the changes in hematocrit and plasma protein concentration (Integral-Mass Balance method) resulting from the fluid filtration caused by the Pv elevation. CFC was measured from the slope of the limb weight recording 2-4 min after the Pv elevation. sigma f decreased linearly from 0.807 (Pv less than 50 mmHg) to approximately 0.2 at 140 mmHg. CFC increased linearly from 0.0086 ml.min-1.mmHg-1.100 g-1 to about 0.04 over the same pressure range. A weight-independent filtration coefficient calculated from the change in hematocrit and a measurement of the initial perfusate volume gave comparable results, except at the very highest of pressures, where this coefficient was sometimes 20-40% less than CFC. Successive sigma f determinations at Pv at about 40 mmHg did not return to control after an initial measurement in which Pv was approximately 110 mmHg. Pore-theory analysis of the data suggests that the elevated Pv causes large pores to open as opposed to the stretching of small pores. Also, these large pores may remain open for a period of hours.