Calf blood flow and oxygen usage during bradykinin infusions

¹ Peripheral Vascular Laboratory, Evans Memorial Department of Clinical Research, Massachusetts Memorial Hospitals, and Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts

The effects of continuous intra-arterial and intravenous infusion of synthetic bradykinin on plethysmographic calf blood flow and radioisotope disappearance rates from skeletal muscle, and on calf oxygen utilization in man were studied. The plethysmographic findings during intra-arterial infusion of bradykinin demonstrated a large increase in the total calf blood flow. The radioisotope disappearance rates indicated that skeletal muscle capillary blood flow was definitely involved and that bradykinin does not act on arteriovenous shunts alone. The response to continuous infusion may be transient, sustained, or intermittent, depending largely upon the dose. During continuous intra-arterial infusions of bradykinin, the oxygen utilization changes were variable but, after 5–10 min, were not statistically significant compared to control values. The lack of effect of intravenous infusion and the rapid return of flow to control levels when intra-arterial injections are discontinued confirm the rapid destruction of the endogenous polypeptide in the body.

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