Special Circulations

Physiology 2016

-Special circulations-
o Pulmonary Circulation
o Coronary Circulation
o Splanchnic Circulation
o Renal circulation
o Cutaneous circulation
o Skeletal muscle circulation
o Cerebral circulation

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 Characteristics of the Pulmonary Circulation
mean arterial pressure of pulmonary circulation is lower than that of systemic circulation

low pressure

Special Characteristics of the Pulmonary Circulation: high compliance

Ability to promote a decrease in resistance as blood pressure rises

P increases, R decreases P increases, Blood

flow decreases

viscosity length

8 l
Remember that resistance toR = r4
Flow = (Input pressure - Output pressure)/ R radius

2
 Pulmonary blood vessels are much more compliant than systemic
blood vessels. Also the system has a remarkable ability to promote
a decrease in resistance as the blood pressure rises.
Recruitment: opening up closed capillaries which receive little or no blood
flow (as pressure rises) lowers the overall resistance
Distension: vasodilation

Two reasons are

responsible:for high compliance
Recruitment: opening up of
previously closed vessels
Distension: increase in
caliber of vessels

Matching respiration & blood flow:

the Ventilation-Perfusion Ratio

Ventilation
Alveolar ventilation, VA
VA = (VT - VD) x resp. rate
= (0.5 - 0.15) x 12 = 4.2 L/min

Perfusion
Cardiac output = C.O. = Q
Q = stroke vol. x heart rate
= (0.086) x 70 = 6.0 L/min

VA
= ventilation/perfusion ~ 0.8
Q

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Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction is a physiological phenomenon in which pulmonary arteries constrict in the
presence of hypoxia (low oxygen levels) without hypercapnia (high carbon dioxide levels), redirecting blood flow
to alveoli with a higher oxygen content.

The process might at first seem illogical, as low oxygen levels should theoretically lead to increased blood flow to
the lungs to receive increased gaseous exchange. However, it is explained by the fact that constriction leads to
redistribution of bloodflow to better-ventilated areas of the lung, which increases the total area involved in gaseous
exchange.

This improves ventilation/perfusion ratio and arterial oxygenation, but is less helpful in the case of long-term
whole-body hypoxia. This is seen in COPD, at altitude, and in heart failure.
Lets assume that there is a blockage of one
alveolar region

vasoconstriction in response to hypoxia

VA
<< 0.8 VA
~ 0.8
Q
Q

Special characteristic of blood vessels surrounding alveoli:

hypoxic vasoconstriction

without hypercapnia
When PO2 within the alveoli decreases there is a decrease in blood
flow to that alveolus
This is called hypoxic vasoconstriction

Thought to be the result of O2-sensitive K+ channels in

the smooth muscle membrane. At low O2 the K+
channels close, the Em rises (the cell depolarizes) and
the cell contracts. > vasoconstriction
This phenomenon is just the opposite of the
response to hypoxia you get with arteriole smooth
muscle in the systemic circulation, but it is an
important feature of the pulmonary circulation
that helps to match perfusion with ventilation

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 CoronaryCirculation

Thecoronaryflowrateis215ml/min.(4%ofCO),andistightly
coupledtooxygendemand.Thisisnecessarybecausethehearthas
averyhighbasaloxygenconsumption.Underrestingconditions,
coronarybloodflowremainsconstantbetweenmeanarterial
pressuresof60140mmHg.

Flowiscontrolledalmostentirelybylocalmetabolicfactors
(Hypoxia&adenosine).
Exhibitsautoregulation: local control of coronary blood flow
o ac vehyperemia:myocardialcontrac lityOdemand
compensatoryvasodila on=owandO
o reactivehyperemia:mechanicalcompressionduringsystolewill
produceocclusionreac vehyperemiabloodowandO2
deliveryandtorepaytheO2debtthatwasincurredduringthe
compression.

CoronaryCirculation
Roleofautonomicnervoussystemoncoronarybloodflow
isdirectandindirect.
Indirecteffects>Directeffects

Direct:SympatheticNervousSysteminduces
Vasoconstrictionorvasodilatation.Thus Coronary
BloodFlow.
Indirect:
o SympatheticNervousSysteminduces HeartRate&
Contractility.Thus Oxygenconsumption& adenosine
andcausesVasodilatation.
o ParasympatheticNervoussystemdecreaseshartRateand
thus Oxygenconsumption& adenosineandcauses
Vasoconstriction.

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 SplanchnicCirculation
internal organs
Referstothebloodcirculationtothegut,spleen,pancreas
andliver.Specialdesign:Aportalveinthroughwhichthe
bloodfromthegut,spleenandpancreasgoestotheliver.

o Hormonalcontrol:Cholecystokinin,vasoactiveintestinal
peptide,gastrinandsecretinarepeptidehormones,which
regulatethemotorandsecretoryactivitiesoftheGItract.
Thesehormonesinducevasodilatationinthesplanchnic
circulation.
oMetabolitecontrol:LowO2andadenosineinduced
Vasodilatation.
oNeuralcontrol:sympatheticstimulationofalpha1
adrenoceptorsinducesvasoconstriction(importantin
haemorrhage)

Renalcirculation

o Thiscirculationistightlyautoregulatedsothatflowremains
constantevenwhenrenalperfusionpressurechanges.

o Renalautoregulationisindependentofsympatheticinnervation,
anditisretainedevenwhenthekidneyisdenervated(e.g.,ina
transplantedkidney).

o Autoregulationofrenalbloodflowwithinthearterialpressure
rangeof75 160mmHg.

o Autoregulationispresumedtooccurfromacombinationofthe
myogenicpropertiesandtubuloglomerularfeedback(renin
angiotensinconstrictionoftheafferentarteriolesinresponsetoan
increaseinsodiumchlorideconcentrationintheearlydistaltubule).

> to maintaining a stable glomerular filtration rate (GFR) despite

changes in systemic blood pressure

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 Cutaneouscirculation
Primaryfunction:Constantbodytemperature.Minorfunction:Oxygen
andnutrientsupplyduetorelativelysmallrequirement.
o Sympatheticinnervation:hasatonicinfluence(alphareceptors)to
alterbloodflowtotheskinforregulationofbodytemperature
(duringexercise,sympathetics areinhibitedresultinginvasodilation ,
thusheatdissipation). intense ex. > opp.
o Localvasodilatormetaboliteshavelittleeffectoncutaneous blood
flow.
o Localproductionofbradykinin insweatglandsandnoncholinergic&
nonadrenergic neuroninducevasodilatation.
o Vasoactive substancessuchashistamine(producedfollowingskin
trauma)induceatripleresponse:aredline,aredflare,andawheal
Thewhealislocaledemaandresultsfromhistaminicactionsthat
vasodilate arteriolesandvasoconstrict veins.Together,thesetwo
effectsproduceincreasedcapillarypressure,increasedfiltration,and
localedema.

Cerebralcirculation

ControlledalmostentirelybylocalmetabolitesCO2(orH+).
Vasodila onofthecerebralarteriolesbloodowtoassistin
removaloftheexcessCO2. constant blood flow
Exhibitsautoregulationandactiveandreactivehyperemia

1.Flowcontrolledbymetabolites

2.Vasodilationoccursinresponseto
increasedCO2 inarterialblood

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L6

SKELETALMUSCLECIRCULATION

Skeletalmusclecirculationiscontrolledbothbylocal
metabolites&sympatheticinnervation.

Regulationisdifferentatrestandduringactivity.

Regulationofbloodflowatrest
Atrest,bloodflowisregulatedprimarilybyitssympathetic
innervation (1&2receptors).

o Activation of 1 receptors = vasoconstriction,

increased resistance, and decreased blood flow .
o Activation of 2 receptors = vasodilation, decreased
resistance, and increased blood flow.

Usually, vasoconstriction predominates because

norepinephrine, released from sympathetic adrenergic
neurons, stimulates primarily 1 receptors.
On the other hand, epinephrine released from the adrenal
gland during the fightorflight response or during exercise
activates 2 receptors and produces vasodilation.

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 Regulationofbloodflowduringexercise
DuringExercise,demandforO2inskeletalmusclevaries
withtheactivitylevel,and,accordingly,bloodflowis
increasedordecreasedtodeliversufficientO2tomeet
demand.Bloodflowiscontroledprimarilybylocal
metabolites.
Eachofthephenomenaoflocalcontrolisexhibited:
o autoregulation.
o activeandreactivehyperemia.
o Localvasodilatorsubstances(Lactate,adenosine,
andK+).
o Mechanicalcompressionofthebloodvesselsin
skeletalmusclebriefperiodsofocclusionreac ve
hyperemiawilloccur,whichincreasesbloodflowandO2
deliverytorepaytheO2debt.

The End