Abstract
Abstract
A pancreatic shock factor (PSF) obtained by collagenase digestion was hemodynamically characterized in 37 mongrel dogs by measuring femoral artery pressure (FAP), portal venous pressure (PoVP), central venous pressure (CVP), pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), left atrial pressure (LAP), ascending aortic flow (cardiac output, CO), and portal venous flow (PoVF). Resistance was calculated for each vascular bed. Injections of PSF were made into the FAP, CVP, PAP, and PoVP catheters and compared. Other organs (muscle, lung, submandibular gland, liver, kidney, stomach, duodenum, and ileum) were processed similarly to the pancreas and the extracts hemodynamically tested. Also tested were known hypotensive agents: bradykinin, trypsin, and endotoxin. Small doses of PSF (0.002–0.004 ml/kg), injected at any of the sites, significantly decreased total systemic resistance, significantly increased portal venous resistance, and had no effect on pulmonary resistance. Cardiac depression was not seen as CO increased. Tachyphylaxis was not observed. The submandibular gland was the only other organ tested which possessed this vascular activity. Bradykinin produced a vascular response which mimicked the PSF or submandibular gland extract vascular response and tachyphylaxis was not observed. Trypsin and endotoxin did not mimic PSF as both depressed CO. The data suggest that kallikrein, present in both pancreas and submandibular gland, activates the kinin system to vasodilate the peripheral vascular bed with secondary effects of increasing CO and decreasing PoVF.
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