Microvascular mechanisms of change in tumor blood flow due to angiotensin II, epinephrine, and methoxamine: a functional morphometric study.

To elucidate the microvascular mechanisms of change in tumor blood flow elicited by vasopressors, a functional morphometric study of the s.c. microcirculation within a rat transparent chamber was performed. Arteriolar vessels were classified centripetally (a2-a5) according to Strahler's method. Arteriolar pressure in each segment both under normotension and under hypertension induced by angiotensin II, epinephrine, or methoxamine was measured using a microocclusion technique. Vasoconstriction was estimated by changes in vessel diameters. In addition, tissue blood flow of the subcutis and s.c. tumor (LY80, a variant of Yoshida sarcoma) under the same conditions was measured with the hydrogen clearance method. By comparing the sites of the greatest pressure drop and the vasoconstriction induced by each vasopressor, we assessed the sites of vascular resistance (VR) which showed increases due to these vasopressors. The greatest VR increase elicited by angiotensin II occurred across a2 vessels. On the other hand, the sites of VR increase due to epinephrine were in a3 vessels and larger vessels upstream from a3 arterioles. The VR increase induced by methoxamine was much smaller than that induced by epinephrine. We conclude that the fact that the sites of increased VR differ with each vasopressor is the primary reason that various vasopressors have been found to produce different changes in tumor blood flow.