Conductivity changes in some organs after circulatory arrest

¹ Kerckhoff Laboratories of the Biological Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California

A loss of electrical conductivity after circulatory arrest was observed in the submaxillary salivary gland, liver, kidney, and skeletal muscle. A drop in conductivity of 85–90% of the original value developed in about 0.5 hr in the liver. In the kidney the loss was less severe. Salivary glands lost about 70–80% of their conductivity in 1.5 hr. The losses in muscle conductivity developed late and were not greater than 50%. The drop in conductivity observed in the various organs after circulatory arrest can be accounted for by losses of extracellular electrolytes from the tissues, which could be demonstrated in preparations stained for chloride. In this context the electrolytes in the blood plasma have to be included in the extracellular compartment. The extracellular electrolytes are lost either because they are transported into the intracellular compartment or because they leave the tissue with blood that flows out of the organ after circulatory arrest.