The effect of dextran 40 and blood transfusion on hepatic circulation and oxygen consumption in hemorrhagic shock

Abstract The flow in the hepatic artery and the portal vein, as well as the oxygen consumption of the liver, were studied in the pig in a standard shock model. The animals were bled to 50 mm Hg arterial pressure and kept at this pressure for 30 min. one group being treated with the shed blood and the other group with an equal volume of dextran 40. Thirty minutes after completion of the treatment, the animals were once again bled to 50 mm Hg and kept at this level for 30 min. During the first period of shock the flow in both vessels decreased to 53% of the baseline value and the oxygen consumption fell to 41% of the initial values. After treatment with the shed blood the flow in the hepatic artery and portal vein returned to preshock values and the oxygen consumption was 39% higher than the initial values. After treatment with dextran 40 the flow in the hepatic artery was 91% higher than the initial value and the flow in the portal vein was 127% higher. In spite of these high flow values, the oxygen consumption was significantly lower in the dextran 40 group. In the second period of shock flow values were reduced to approximately the same values as in the first period but the oxygen consumption was significantly lower in the dextran 40 group than in the blood transfusion group.