Recording of the saphenous vein compliance by an ultrasonic echo‐tracking device in the dog: effects of S 18149

Abstract

1 Saphenous vein reactivity was recorded in the anaesthetized dog by use of an ultrasonic echo-tracking device to measure the internal diameter of the vein and to calculate the venous compliance. This method was used to investigate the e ects of a new partial a 1 /a 2 -adrenoceptor agonist, S 18149, on the canine saphenous vein in vivo after intravenous (i.v.) or oral administration. 2 Venoconstrictions induced by i.v. or local administration of compounds were evaluated by continuous recording of the internal diameter of the saphenous vein with the echo-tracking method. Venous compliance was calculated in two ways: (1) as the slope of the diameter-pressure curve obtained by increasing the venous pressure with an in¯atable cu and (2) in veins in which pressure was higher than 12 mmHg, pulsatile variations in the venous diameter and venous pressure were detected and used to calculate the pulsatile compliance of the vein. 3 S 18149 administered i.v. at 0.5 mg kg 71 min 71 for 10 min induced a decrease in the saphenous vein diameter (715+3%) and blood¯ow (772+6%) associated with an increase in saphenous vein resistance; at the dose used, S 18149 did not modify venous pressure and caused only a weak increase in arterial pressure (+7+2 mmHg). 3 The pulsatile compliance of the saphenous vein averaged 8.65+1.37 mm 2 6100 mmHg 71 in control dogs and was signi®cantly decreased to 5.13+0.68 mm 2 6100 mmHg 71 in the same animals after treatment with S 18149 at 100 mg kg 71 per os (n=10). The saphenous vein compliance calculated with the increased external pressure method averaged 24.90+1.49 mm mmHg 71 in control dogs and was signi®cantly reduced in the same animals after treatment with S 18149 at 100 mg kg 71 per os to 9.06+3.42 mm mmHg 71 (n=5). When constrictions of the vein were induced with increasing doses of (7)-phenylephrine, injected locally at 1, 3 or 6 mg min 71 , only the responses obtained with the lower dose of (7)-phenylephrine were increased in dogs treated with S 18149 100 mg kg 71 per os (716+4% versus 74+3%, n=5). 4 These results show that the high resolution echo-tracking device previously used for arterial compliance measurements, allows the detection of pulsatile changes in the canine saphenous vein and thus permits calculation of both the pulsatile and the static compliance of super®cial veins in vivo. Using this technique, we have demonstrated that the novel a-adrenoceptor agonist S 18149 constricts the canine saphenous vein in vivo and decreases the saphenous vein compliance after oral administration.

Ultrasound: a reproducible method to measure conduit vein compliance

“…Previously, the diameter of one single vein has been assessed in superficial cutaneous veins with various techniques such as an optical method (8), a photoelectric device (25) linear differential transformer and ultrasound (28). However, subcutaneous vein measurements are associated with a high degree of intersubject variability (1), and one should realize that responses in these subcutaneous veins are less representative for total vein compliance because their primary function is heat dissipation and not blood storage and conduction (18).…”

“…Ultrasound, previously used for arterial compliance measurements, provides the possibility to measure aspects of one major vein, and it is now clinically used to provide anatomic information on compression of a vein segment or hemodynamic information such as the presence of flow and retrograde flow in veins (13). Vayssettes-Courchay et al (28) measured the diameter of the saphenous vein using ultrasound in animals and calculated the venous compliance. They concluded that ultrasound allows the detection of pulsatile changes in the canine saphenous vein and thus permits calculation of both the pulsatile and the static (using external cuff pressures) compliance of superficial veins in vivo.…”

In vivo Evidence of Arterial Dynamic Properties Alteration in Atherosclerotic Rabbit

“…The choices made regarding the model and experimental conditions in our study can be explained. Concerning the technique per se there is presently no alternative to echotracking or vascular echography to measure arterial diameter in vivo non-invasively and we previously obtained reliable results using this method for veins and arteries, in different species [31, 37, 42]. The device used for arterial reactivity, NIUS02, allowing continuous recording of the diameter is the most appropriate for these investigations.…”

Artificial gravity with ergometric exercise can prevent enhancement of popliteal vein compliance due to 4-day head-down bed rest

“…Although VOP is a useful inexpensive, noninvasive and simple tool, it measures volume change of the whole calf, including arterioles and other tissues; as a result, interstitial fluid accumulation due to enhanced venous and capillary pressures during cuff inflation will overestimate whole limb venous volume changes (de Groot et al 2005;Halliwill et al 1999;Young et al 2008). Vayssettes-Courchay et al (1997) measured the diameter of the saphenous vein in vivo using ultrasound in animals and calculated the venous compliance. They concluded that ultrasound allows the detection of pulsatile changes in the canine saphenous vein and thus permits the calculation of both the pulsatile and the static (using external cuff pressures) compliance of superficial veins.…”