Cardiac Dynamics of Intact,Splenectomized and Hepatic Artery Ligated Dogs During Acute Oligemic Shock. ∗

Abstract

Summary

Forty-one mongrel dogs, 11 intact animals, 14 subjected to hepatic artery ligation, and 16 splenectomized, anesthetized with pentobarbital, were each bled to a mean arterial blood pressure of 40 mm Hg and maintained at this level for one hour. The splenectomized animals required significantly less time to reach this pressure level and significantly less blood loss when compared to the intact group. The blood loss in the hepatic artery ligated animals was less than that for the intact dogs, but greater than the blood loss recorded for the splenectomized group. During the period of hypotension hematocrit values were markedly reduced in the splenectomized animals, but not in the other groups. The patterns of hemodynamic and metabolic (coronary flow, cardiac output, myocardial O₂ uptake, etc) alterations observed consequent to the oligemic state in each group were qualitatively and quantitatively similar. It was concluded that the spleen does not modify cardiac performance by a mechanism other than in its capacity as a blood reservoir, and that hepatic artery ligation has no effect on the cardiac response to oligemic shock.