Abstract

We have quantified the concentration profile of 121I-labeled rabbit albumin in the avascular intima and media of the rabbit descending thoracic aorta following intravenous injection under control and acute hypoxic conditions in vivo. Our purpose was to determine if alterations occurred in the transmural concentration profiles which could be attributed to hypoxia-induced changes in the permeability of the intimal endothelium to plasma-borne macromolecules. The profiles were obtained with frozen serial sections of the aorta from experiments of 30 min duration. Acute hypoxia was induced by addition of nitrogen to the breathing mixture. The hypoxia resulted in arterial pO 2 values of 23–32 mm Hg while the arterial pO 2 in the control animals ranged from 80 to 88 mm Hg. All animals were under sodium pentobarbital anesthesia. The results revealed no detectable changes in the concentration profile in the inner media accompanying hypoxia. However, increases in the label concentration in the outer media of the hypoxic animals suggested either dilation or increased permeability of the adventitial blood vessels.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.