Effects of chronic anemia on the coronary and coronary collateral vasculature in dogs.

We compared coronary resistances and collateral (retrograde) flows for a group of normal dogs (hematocrit 40) to values for a group of dogs with severe chronic anemia (hematocrit 17). We used an isolated heart preparation in which the vessels were maximally dilated by dipyridamole. All data were compared for a hematocrit of 40. The results showed a significant decrease in coronary resistances with anemia; average resistances (+/-SE) of the anterior descending, circumflex, and right coronary arteries of the control dogs were 1.04 +/- 0.09,0.74 +/- 0.01, and 2.63 +/- 0.17 mm Hg/[(ml/min)/100 g], respectively, and 0.6 +/- 0.04,0.41 +/- 0.05,and 1.17 +/- 0.15 for the anemic dogs. Average coronary collateral flows increased in anemia but statistical significance could not be shown. We conclude that increased vascularity is a long-term regulatory mechanism in response to a hypoxic stimulus.