Thermally induced peripheral blood flow changes in chickens.

Changes in wattle blood flow (Q) and vascular resistance (R) were examined during both local heating of the wattle and/or general body heating of unanesthetized, male White Leghorn chickens. Q increased and R decreased during both local and general heating. Termination of heating reversed the response. Beta stimulation with isoproterenol markedly reduced R and increased Q in normothermic birds, suggesting the presence of beta receptors in the wattle vasculature. Alpha blockade with phenoxybenzamine also resulted in pronounced vasodilatation, suggesting tonic alpha-sympathetic tone in the wattle vasculature under normothermic conditions. Neither cholinergic blockade with atropine sulfate nor beta-adrenergic blockade with propranolol altered the vascular response to general heating when administered near its peak. Release of alpha-sympathetic tone is believed to subserve the response to general heating.