LOCAL BLOOD-FLOW IS NOT LINKED TO LACTATE WITHIN SINGLE-RABBIT SKELETAL-MUSCLES

A marked regional distribution in blood flow within single skeletal mu scles on a non-microvascular level, i.e. at the level of large arterio les or small arteries, is present in dog, cat and rabbit. The mechanis m for this perfusion pattern is not known. The goal of the present stu dy was to see if regional blood flow was correlated to regional lactat e metabolism. Anesthetized rabbits were studied. Blood flow to 0.25 g muscle samples was measured with microspheres whereas lactate content and lactate dehydrogenase activity were determined in extracts of thes e samples. No correlation was detected between regional blood flow and regional lactate or lactate dehydrogenase either at rest or during ex ercise hyperemia. Expressed as the coefficient of variation (CVc), reg ional blood flow showed a marked scatter, the CVc ranged from 0.32 to 0.35. The corresponding CVc for both lactate and lactate dehydrogenase activity ranged from 0. 16 to 0. 19. It is concluded that regional bl ood flow is not correlated to regional lactate metabolism. The regiona l distribution in blood flow was markedly more uneven than that for la ctate content and for lactate dehydrogenase activity.