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The regional blood supply to consecutive segments of the small intestine in the anaesthetized rat was investigated with a radioactive microsphere technique. A blood flow gradient with the lowest flow in the distal segments (0.85-0.89 ml/min.g) and the highest in the proximal segments (1.13-1.15 m1imin.g) was observed. Very few microspheres were found in the portal vein blood, indicating negligible arteriovenous shunting in the splanchnic area. The mean cardiac outputs in two consecutive measurements were 27.9 and 28.7 ml/min.100 g, respectively. The cardiac output and regional blood flow values were in accordance with those obtained with other techniques.

The glycogen storage in rat skeletal muscle is reduced after a 20% third degree burn. The reason is probably a relative deficiency of insulin caused by insulin resistance at the tisue level. Posttraumatically increased sympatho-adrenal function has been suspected to cause this insulin resistance. In an earlier study, however, it has been shown that adrenal demedullation has no effect on the glycogen storage. In the present investigation an attempt was made to assess the importance of the increased peripheric sympathetic activity. Muscle glycogen, serum insulin and blood glucose were determined at the end of a glucose infusion after infliction of a burn both in 4-hydroxy-dopamine treated rats and rats with an intact peripheric sympathetic nervous system. It was found that a chemical sympathectomy did not improve the glycogen storage. The result indicates that the increased activity of the sympatho-adrenal system after a burn is not the main cause of the reduced skeletal muscle glycogen storage.