Does experimental congestive heart failure alter the sodium and potassium content of peripheral arteries in dogs?
Experimental congestive heart failure in dogs is associated with significantly increased sodium content in peripheral arteries, which may help explain abnormal vascular stiffness in human CHF.
This study sought to determine whether the electrolyte content of peripheral arteries is altered in experimental congestive heart failure (CHF) and whether such change, if present, would help to explain the abnormal vascular stiffness seen in human CHF. The concentrations of sodium (Na + ) and potassium (K + ) were determined in samples of aorta (Ao) and femoral arterial branches (FA) of 17 dogs. Six had ascites due to CHF produced by rapid ventricular pacing (left ventricular end-diastolic pressure LVEDP 26.2 mm Hg and maximal velocity of myocardial shortening V max 2.39 circumferences/sec). In the 11 animals in the control group pacing was stopped prior to the onset of CHF or the animals were not paced (LVEDP, 8.8 mm Hg and V max , 2.98 circumferences/sec). In CHF, mean Ao Na + was 38.0 ± 2.3 mEq/100 g dry weight and FA Na + was 44.2 ± 3.2 mEq/100 g. These were significantly higher than similar samples taken from the 11 normal dogs (Na + , 31.9 ± 1.6 P < 0.05 and 31.9 ± 1.8 P < 0.01 mEq/100 g, respectively). Although the water content tended to be higher and K + tended to be lower in animals with CHF, these values were not significantly different from normal.
Zelis et al. (Sun,) studied this question.