VETM 1502:
VETERINARY
PHYSIOLOGY 1
LECTURE:
CARDIOVASCULAR
SYSTEM #9 – REGIONAL
AND FETAL
CIRCULATION
Kavita R. Lall, B.Sc. (Hons.), D.V.M. (Hons.), M.Sc. (Dist.)
OUTLINE
Learning objectives
Cerebral circulation
Cutaneous circulation
Skeletal muscle circulation
Splanchnic circulation
Blood flow to rumen and spleen
Hepatic circulation
Fetal circulation and changes after birth
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Describe cerebral circulation, inclusive of its regulation and
note species differences
Describe cutaneous circulation, inclusive of its regulation and
major function
Describe skeletal circulation, inclusive of its regulation
Describe splanchnic circulation, inclusive of its regulation
and its unique feature
Describe blood flow to the rumen and spleen circulation,
inclusive of its regulation and note species differences
Describe hepatic circulation, inclusive of its regulation
Understand the unique features of fetal circulation and what
changes occur after birth
CEREBRAL CIRCULATION
Receives ~15% of the cardiac output
Arteries that supply the brain: Anterior,
middle and posterior arteries of both sides
through a common arterial pathway, the
circle of Willis
In most species this circle is supplied by the
internal carotid arteries and vertebral
arteries, whereas in cat, dog, sheep and
goat the circle is supplied by the rete
mirable
CEREBRAL CIRCULATION CONT’D
The walls of the capillaries are non porous
and are separated by the nerve cells by
neuroglia which prevents diffusion of high
molecular weight substances thereby
forming a blood brain barrier
The blood is drained through the internal
jugular vein or through the vertebral
venous plexus and external jugular vein
Three components of the blood-brain barrier:
1. Epithelial tight junctions
2. Basement membrane
- Pericytes
- Macrophages
3. Astrocytes - Glial cells(CNS)
CEREBRAL CIRCULATION CONT’D
Regulation of cerebral circulation
Controlled primarily by autoregulatory
mechanisms mediated by local pH changes
Vasodilation: arterial PCO2, in PO2,
Potassium ions P - is partial pressure
Vasoconstriction: bicarbonate ions
CEREBRAL CIRCULATION CONT’D
Cerebral blood flow in chronic alkalosis
and in chronic acidosis
Neural regulation of blood flow only plays a
secondary role
Cerebral blood vessels have both
sympathetic and parasympathetic inputs
CUTANEOUS CIRCULATION
Skin is supplied by a dense network of
cutaneous arterioles under the dermis
Very Important for thermal regulation
Arterioles metarterioles capillary
loops
These capillary loops provide a greater
surface area for heat exchange mechanism
CUTANEOUS CIRCULATION
CONT’D
Venules form a venous plexus
Arteriovenous anastomoses communicate
between the smaller arteries, arterioles and
venous channels and are located in the
distal parts of the extremities, nose, lips,
ears, etc
These vessels are wide and have low
resistance connections that serve as shunts
and allow blood to bypass superficial
capillary tube
CUTANEOUS CIRCULATION
CONT’D
Cutaneous vessels are innervated by
sympathetic adrenergic vasoconstrictor
fibres
Cutaneous arterioles – α and β receptors
Arteriovenous anastomoses - α receptors
Venous plexus - separate neural
connections; undergo vasoconstriction
which minimizes the amount of blood to
the skin
CUTANEOUS CIRCULATION
CONT’D
Major function of cutaneous vessels -
regulation of body temperature
Aids in heat conservation mechanisms
Vasoconstriction
Aids in heat dissipation mechanisms
Vasodilation; increased blood temperature
stimulates the hypothalamus inhibits
vasoconstriction increases blood flow to
skin and causes evaporative heat loss
SKELETAL MUSCLE
CIRCULATION
Normal resting condition: Blood flow to the
skeletal muscle is ~ 15%
Varies according to activity
Blood flow to the skeletal muscle is
controlled by the α-adrenergic sympathetic
system tone on the blood vessels
SKELETAL MUSCLE
CIRCULATION CONT’D
Neurotransmitter: Norepinephrine
Stimulates α receptors in the vascular
smooth muscle
Effect: Vasoconstriction decreases the
blood flow
This vasoconstriction is influenced by
arterial baroreceptors, chemoreceptors
and cardiac baroreceptors
SKELETAL MUSCLE
CIRCULATION CONT’D
Epinephrine has a slight to moderate
vasodilator effect by stimulating the β
receptors
In certain species, e.g. cats and lower
animals, sympathetic vasodilator fibres are
present that have acetylcholine as the
neurotransmitter
SKELETAL MUSCLE
CIRCULATION CONT’D
Blood flow to the skeletal muscle is
autoregulated
Local metabolites play a role in
vasodilation
Vasodilator factors activated during
muscle contraction are anoxia, increased
CO2 tension, lactic acid, hydrogen ions,
histamine, acetylcholine, etc
SPLANCHNIC CIRCULATION
Abdominal Cavity
Splanchnic circulation includes the blood
flow through the stomach, small intestine,
large intestine, pancreas, spleen and liver
A unique feature of this circulatory system
is that the combined venous drainage from
the mesentery and spleen constitutes the
major portion of the inflow to the liver
through the portal vein
SPLANCHNIC CIRCULATION
CONT’D
All of the splanchnic flow reaches the liver
70% via the portal vein from the stomach,
intestine, spleen and pancreas
30% via the hepatic artery
SPLANCHNIC CIRCULATION
CONT’D
Three mechanisms regulate blood flow at the
local level
1. Enhanced metabolism in parenchymal cells of
the villi lowers tissue PO2 and increases
vasodilator metabolites, relaxing arteriolar
smooth muscle and precapillary sphincters to
increase mucosal blood flow
2. Increased muscle activity metabolically
produces active hyperemia of the muscularis
mucosae
3. Intrinsic myogenic response to stretch
autoregulates blood flow, when blood pressure
fluctuates
BLOOD FLOW TO RUMEN AND
SPLEEN
Rumen blood flow
Receives blood from the celiac
artery which branches into
the right and left ruminal arteries
Increase rumen blood flow: Feeding,
carbon dioxide in epithelium and volatile
fatty acids
BLOOD FLOW TO RUMEN AND
SPLEEN CONT’D
Splenic circulation
In some mammals (dog, cat, horse) the spleen
serves as a blood reservoir; normally blood is
stored in the venous sinuses and is released
into the circulation when the need arises
The splenic emptying mechanism is under
sympathetic regulation
Stimulation of splenic nerve fibres
decrease in arterial inflow and increase in
venous outflow
Norepinephrine mediates arteriolar inflow
constriction
Epinephrine mediates emptying
HEPATIC CIRCULATION
The hepatic blood supply from the hepatic
artery and portal vein is governed by
hepatic arterial vascular resistance, the
arterial tone in the vascular beds of the
gastrointestinal tract, pancreas and the
spleen and the intrahepatic portal venous
vascular resistance
HEPATIC CIRCULATION CONT’D
Total hepatic blood flow in humans, cats
and dogs contributes about 70-75% of the
total hepatic blood flow
Sympathetic nerve stimulation increases
hepatic arterial and portal venous tone
Since the liver is a major blood reservoir,
sympathetic stimulation rapidly mobilizes
large amounts of blood for redistribution to
vital organs under stress conditions
HEPATIC CIRCULATION CONT’D
Epinephrine decreases hepatic artery flow
and total hepatic blood volume
Hepatic vasculature contains α and β
receptors
The hepatic arterial vascular bed exhibits
relatively weak local control of its blood
flow through both myogenic and metabolic
types of autoregulation
HEPATIC CIRCULATION CONT’D
Vasopressin has three effects on hepatic
circulation:
1. Hepatic arterial constriction
2. Mesenteric vasoconstriction
3. Dilator action on intrahepatic portal
resistance vessels
FETAL CIRCULATION AND
CHANGES AFTER BIRTH
Fetal circulation
The fetal lungs are non-functional before
birth and therefore the heart pumps large
quantities of blood through the placenta
3 Important shunts:
1. Ductus Venosus
2. Foramen Ovale
3. Ductus Arteriosus
These shunts usually close
after 10 to 14 days, so, if you
are palpating, and you hear
sounds the sounds are not
actually murmurs but it is
that the shunts have not
closed as yet.
FETAL CIRCULATION AND
CHANGES AFTER BIRTH CONT’D
Changes in circulation after birth
1. Primary changes occurs in the pulmonary and
systemic vascular resistance at birth
Loss of blood flow through the placenta
Increase systemic vascular resistance
Decrease in pulmonary vascular resistance
2. Closure of foramen ovale
3. Closure of ductus arteriosus
4. Closure of ductus venosus
Tetralogy of Fallot
THE END
