[Blood flow and hematocrit in the microvessels during ischemia]

Intravital studies of microcirculation and packed-cell volume in microvessels of rat mesentery demonstrated changes in the direction of the flow and packed-cell volume in the course of 17 minutes' ischemia caused by the occlusion of the afferent arteriole. Deficient inflow to the ischemized region is at first compensated for by the inflow from other microvessels via major anastomoses and later by retrograde flow through the peripheral branches of the occluded arteriole. The development of generalized microcirculatory disorders is preceded by capillary retrograde flow containing venular blood.