Large capacity in man for effective plasma volume control in hypovolaemia via fluid transfer from tissue to blood

Compensatory absorption of extravascular fluid from skeletal muscle and skin into the circulation in response to experimental hypovolaemia was studied by plethysmographic technique in the upper arm of man. Lower body negative pressure (LBNP) of 90 cmH2O, applied for 10 min, served to produce rapid and prominent hypovolaemic stress as indicated by prompt decrease in central blood volume (external recording of 99Tcmerythrocyte activity) followed by marked tachycardia. The arm concomitantly showed an initial mobilization of regional blood, an increased vascular resistance, and a continuous net transcapillary fluid absorption, i.e. similar responses as reported in animals upon haemorrhage. The absorption of extravascular fluid, validated by simultaneous analyses of changes in tissue volume and in regional blood volume 99Tcmerythrocyte activity), was rapid and averaged 0.13 ml min-1 100 ml-1 soft tissue during the 10 min of LBNP exposure. In some subjects with symptoms and signs of pronounced circulatory stress fluid was transferred twice as fast. Separate experiments indicated that the rapid fluid flux was causally linked to the existence in the studied tissue of a large transcapillary hydraulic conductance. It is concluded that man possesses a surprisingly great capacity for compensatory circulatory refill via fluid transfer from tissue to blood. The data in fact suggest that in true states of hypovolaemia as much as 500 ml might be gained into the circulation in only 10 min.