Physiological animal study demonstrates that hepatic nerve stimulation expels half of liver blood volume in cats, indicating the liver acts as a major blood reservoir.
Key Points
Characterize blood volume capacitance and transcapillary fluid exchange in the feline liver during electrical stimulation of hepatic nerves.
Measured cat liver volume using plethysmography while continuously monitoring arterial pressure, portal pressure, and hepatic blood flow without disrupting major vessels.
Manipulated hepatic venous pressure to determine capillary filtration coefficients at baseline and during hepatic nerve stimulation.
Total hepatic blood volume averaged 27 ± 3.3 ml/100 g liver, accounting for approximately 14% of the animal's total blood volume.
Hepatic nerve stimulation reached maximal capacitance responses at ~6 Hz, ejecting approximately 50% of stored hepatic blood.
The capillary filtration coefficient was 0.30 ± 0.03 ml/mm/mm Hg/100 g and was not significantly altered by hepatic nerve stimulation.