Kinetic characterization of the terminal vascular bed during inflammation

¹ Departments of Dermatology and Physiology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, California

A mixture of small- and large-molecular weight substances (Rb⁸⁶ and albumin-I¹³¹) was injected intravenously into anesthetized rats at measured times after the topical application of a phlogogen. Blood and skin specimens obtained I min later were analyzed for their isotope content. It was found that at every stage of the inflammatory reaction studied the skin uptake of radioalbumin was linearly related to the uptake of Rb⁸⁶. This relationship was positive and, in contrast to the normal skin, statistically significant. The various parameters of the regression equations are interpreted in terms of nutritional blood flow, intravascular plasma content, rate of plasma extravasation, and fractional blood-tissue clearance of albumin. These parameters are shown to change in a characteristic manner with the progress of inflammation.

Key Words: capillary permeability • rate of plasma extravasation • inflammation kinetics • vasodilation • nutritional blood flow • protein extravasation • protein extraction ratio

Submitted on May 25, 1964