[Changes in skeletal muscle blood flow after nerve blockade--an experimental study]

The effect of nerve blocking on the blood flow through the skeletal muscle during and after contraction was examined. Muscle blood flow was measured by heated thermocouple technique on the rabbit quadriceps muscle stimulated by tetanic currents of various strengths and lengths of time. Femoral nerve division in weak and prolonged contraction and also epidural anesthesia in weak and brief contraction resulted in a significant decrease in peak flow through the muscle. In strong contraction, however, blocking the sympathetic nerve did not affect the blood flow during contraction. This results suggest that the main mechanism producing the hyperemia during contraction is not dependent on the sympathetic nervous system but at least in some part autonomic nervous system may play a role in the dilator reaction.