The effects of gastric hyperosmotic glucose feedings on regional perfusion in the neonatal piglet

Regional blood flow and intestinal wall perfusion were studied in 13 anesthetized 1-5 day old neonatal piglets before and after gastric glucose infusion. The radionuclide labeled microsphere technique was used with 15 +/- 3 mu microspheres (85Sr, 141Ce) given in two separate left atrial infections. The 10% glucose with a patent blue dye marker did not affect CO but produced significant increases in blood flow to the adrenals bilaterally, to all layers of the proximal small intestine and to the mucosa of the distal small intestine. The glucose also caused a significant reduction in the animals' arterial pH, PaO2, and total CO2 with an increase in the blood glucose level. This response to gastric glucose infusion is different from adult animals since lower glucose concentrations produced blood flow changes in all layers of the exposed small intestine and the adrenals in our neonatal animals.