Role of site of microsphere injection and catheter position on systemic and regional hemodynamics in rat.

The influences of the site of microsphere injection (intra-atrial vs. intraventricular) and positioning of the left ventricular catheter (aortoventricular vs. atrioventricular) on systemic, renal, and coronary hemodynamics were evaluated in anesthetized rats. The effect of anesthesia on aortoventricular catheter positioning was also evaluated. In anesthetized and open-chest preparations, the systemic and renal hemodynamics were not affected by catheter position or site of microsphere injection; however, myocardial blood flow was dependent on these variables. Variations in coronary blood flow were significantly greater when the catheter was in the aortoventricular position (34 +/- 3%) than with an atrioventricular catheter (11 +/- 2%, P less than 0.01), irrespective of whether the microspheres were injected into the atrium or ventricle. Comparison of anesthetized and conscious rats with aortoventricular catheter indicated lesser variability in coronary blood flow in the conscious rats (P less than 0.01). Therefore, the greater variability of coronary flow measurements in anesthetized rats was caused by the position of the cardiac catheter in the aortoventricular route. However, the variability caused by the aortoventricular catheter was much less in conscious rats. Therefore, coronary flow hemodynamic measurements (microsphere technique) are less variable when they are made in conscious rats.