The recording of venous compliance in the conscious dog: a method for the assessment of venoconstrictor agents.

Determinations of drug-induced changes in venous compliance were performed in conscious dogs using a linear variable differential transformer. Changes in the diameter of the canine saphenous vein, produced by inflation to 45 mmHg of a sphygmomanometer cuff placed on the upper hind leg, were recorded. The cuff was inflated at 5-min intervals for 2 min before and after drug administration. Validation studies of this new method were performed by investigating the venoconstrictor activity of dihydroergotamine (Dihydergot). The intravenous administration of DHE, either locally or systemically, elicited dose-dependent and longlasting venoconstrictor responses with extremely small interindividual variations. Comparison of the present results to those reported for man suggests that recording of venous compliance in the conscious dog provides data with good predictability.