Redistribution of flow between canine isolated internal and external carotid arteries by vasoactive substances

A Y-shaped segment consisting of the common, internal, and external carotid arteries was isolated from the canine carotid artery. The preparation has the advantage of allowing direct comparison of responses to vasoactive substances in the internal and external carotid arteries. It was perfused at a constant rate (within the range of 10-15 ml/min) through the common carotid with either Locke's solution or arterial blood led from a support dog. Adding norepinephrine or epinephrine to the perfusate raised the perfusion pressure, increased the flow along the internal carotid branch, and decreased it in the external carotid branch in the blood-perfused experiments but not in the saline-perfused ones. In contrast, 5-hydroxytryptamine, prostaglandin F2 alpha, and ATP caused a decrease in internal carotid flow and an increase in external carotid flow, raising the perfusion pressure in both experiments. Controlled bleeding of the support dog (at the rate of 4 ml/(kg X min] produced a similar result to that produced by exogenous norepinephrine or epinephrine. These findings may suggest that a redistribution of blood flow between the larger internal and external carotid arteries can be induced by a difference of responsiveness to certain vasoactive substances between the two arteries.