Actively circulating blood volume in endotoxin shock measured by indicator dilution.

To estimate the size of the actively circulating blood volume of splenectomized dogs during control conditions and after endotoxin infusion, the pattern of concentration changes of 51Cr-labeled erythrocytes and 125I-labeled albumin was monitored. A dual exponential equation was fitted to the data. The total red blood cell and albumin volumes of distribution were determined from the slow exponential disappearance curves. The active red blood cell and albumin volumes were 89.8 +/- 5.3% and 92.0 +/- 2.0% of the total volumes, respectively. After endotoxin shock (mean arterial blood pressure 49.1 +/- 17.8 mmHg) the active volumes fell to only 60.0 +/- 10.3% and 56.2 +/- 20.0% of the total volumes, respectively. The fast-mixing time constants were similar (3.1 +/- 1.4 min and 2.5 +/- 2.7 min, respectively) and did not change significantly during the endotoxin shock, indicating that the albumin tag mixed into its larger volume of distribution as rapidly as the cells mixed into their indicated volume. We conclude that 1) an active blood volume can be distinguished, 2) it decreases for both red blood cells and albumin in endotoxin shock, and 3) a major part of the "extravascular plasma volume," as estimated by albumin dilution, is in the actively circulating circulation.