Ah. Hord et al., Changes in rat paw perfusion after experimental mononeuropathy: Assessmentby laser Doppler fluxmetry, ANESTH ANAL, 88(1), 1999, pp. 103-108
Citations number
25
Categorie Soggetti
Aneshtesia & Intensive Care","Medical Research Diagnosis & Treatment
This study was performed to determine the changes in perfusion that occur a
fter chronic constriction injury (CCI). Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 2
75-300 g had loosely constricting ligatures placed around the left sciatic
nerve. Paw withdrawal latency (PWL) to heat, skin temperature, and skin per
fusion (laser Doppler) of the hind paws were measured before and for 30 day
s after CCI. PWL, decreased significantly on the side of the CCI (maximum o
f 34% decrease on Postoperative Day [POD] 3), then returned to normal over
a 20-day period. Skin temperature initially increased on the side of CCI, t
hen decreased with respect to the control limb on PODs 20-30. Despite the i
nitial increase in skin temperature on the side of CCI, skin perfusion sign
ificantly decreased immediately after CCI (maximum of 51% decrease on POD 6
). The perfusion gradually returned to normal over 20 days. Because return
to normal perfusion occurred while the skin temperature became colder than
the control side, we conclude that there is no relationship between paw sur
face temperature and perfusion. Implications: Our data suggest that loss of
sympathetic tone in thermoregulatory arteriovenous anastomoses leads to de
creased nutritional blood flow to the skin of the affected limb after chron
ic constriction injury, which is consistent with the findings reported in h
umans with reflex sympathetic dystrophy.