Collateral sources of costal and crural diaphragmatic blood flow

We measured the contribution of aortic, internal mammary, and intercostal arteries to the blood flow to the costal and crural segments of the diaphragm and other respiratory muscles in seven dogs breathing against a fixed inspiratory elastic load. We used radiolabeled microspheres to measure the blood flow with control circulation, occlusion of the aorta distal to the left subclavian artery, combined occlusion of the aorta and both internal mammary arteries, and occlusion of internal mammary arteries alone. With occlusion of the aorta distal to the left subclavian artery, blood flow to the crural diaphragm decreased from 40.3 to 23.5 ml . min-1 X 100 g-1, whereas costal flow did not change significantly (from 41.7 to 38.1 ml . min-1 . 100 g-1). Blood flows to the sternomastoid and scalene muscles (above the occlusion) increased by 200 and 340%, respectively, whereas flows to the other respiratory muscles did not change significantly. Blood flows to organs above the occlusion either remained unchanged or increased, whereas flows to those below the occlusion all decreased. When the internal mammary artery was also occluded, flows to the crural segment decreased further to 12.1 and costal flow decreased to 20.4 ml X min-1 X 100 g-1. Internal mammary arterial occlusion alone in two dogs had no effect on diaphragmatic flow. In conclusion, intercostal collateral vessels are capable of supplying a significant proportion of blood flow to both segments of the diaphragm but the costal segment is better served than the crural segment.