AJP - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, Vol 233, Issue 1 148-H153, Copyright © 1977 by American Physiological Society
Effects of systemically infused histamine on transvascular fluid and protein transfer
D. L. Marciniak, D. E. Dobbins, J. J. Maciejko, J. B. Scott, F. J. Haddy and G. J. Grega
Histamine (4-64 microgram base/min) infused into the brachial artery
clearly promotes edema formation in forelimbs perfused at natural flow. In
contrast, intravenously administered histamine, even in blood
concentrations exceeding those achieved by local infusion, not only fails
to promote edema formation, but rather causes net extravascular fluid
reabsorption. In this study, high concentrations of histamine were infused
into the left ventricular chamber to bypass the pulmonary circuit.
Histamine (400-800 microgram base/min) infused into the left ventricle of
the heart for 90 min produced marked hypotension and only very slight
increases in forelimb skin lymph flow and lymph protein concentration and
failed to produce visible signs of edema. Thus the differential actions of
local and intravenous histamine on lymph flow, protein efflux, and fluid
fluxes cannot be explained by uptake or destruction of histamine in the
lung during intravenous infusions of this agent. It seems more likely that
they result from different actions on microvascular pressure, surface area,
and/or permeability to plasma proteins. Prior hypotension produced either
by acetylcholine, systemically infused histamine, or arterial hemorrhage
almost completely prevents the increase in skin lymph flow and lymph
protein concentration by histamine infused locally into the brachial
artery, even in forelimbs perfused at constant flow.
