AJP - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, Vol 254, Issue 1 181-H186, Copyright © 1988 by American Physiological Society
Improved techniques for cardiovascular monitoring in rats as applied during endotoxemia
B. Biber, C. F. Schaefer, M. J. Smolik, M. R. Lerner, D. J. Brackett, M. F. Wilson and L. Fagraeus
Department of Anesthesiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City 73190.
We describe a new combination of techniques for measurements of systemic
blood pressure, central venous pressure, pulmonary arterial (PA) pressure,
PA wedge pressure, and cardiac output in the rat. Application of the method
to the conscious rat in a septic shock (Escherichia coli endotoxin iv
injection) model demonstrated a response pattern of decreased cardiac
output and stroke volume, increased total peripheral vascular resistance
and heart rate, and transiently decreased systemic arterial pressure. In
the pulmonary circulation, a very brief hypertension and a sustained
increase in pulmonary vascular resistance were observed, but changes in PA
wedge pressure were small. The soft PA catheter (0.3 mm ID, 0.6 mm OD) had
no undue effects on cardiovascular function. We suggest that this combined
technique could be useful for many cardiovascular studies in the rat, not
only as related to shock research.
