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A Simple “Streak Length Method” for Quantifying and Characterizing Red Blood Cell Velocity Profiles and Blood Flow in Rat Skeletal Muscle Arterioles
Author(s) -
ALKHAZRAJI BARAA K.,
NOVIELLI NICOLE M.,
GOLDMAN DANIEL,
MEDEIROS PHILIP J.,
JACKSON DWAYNE N.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
microcirculation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.793
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1549-8719
pISSN - 1073-9688
DOI - 10.1111/j.1549-8719.2012.00165.x
Subject(s) - blood flow , skeletal muscle , microcirculation , red blood cell , anatomy , chemistry , streak , biomedical engineering , materials science , biology , cardiology , medicine , mineralogy , biochemistry
Please cite this paper as: Al‐Khazraji BK, Novielli NM, Goldman D, Medeiros PJ, Jackson DN. A simple “Streak Length Method” for quantifying and characterizing red blood cell velocity profiles and blood flow in rat skeletal muscle arterioles. Microcirculation 19: 327–335, 2012. Abstract Objectives: To develop a valid experimental method for quantifying blood flow in continuously branching skeletal muscle arterioles, and to derive an empirical relationship between velocity ratio ( V Max / V Mean ) and arteriolar diameter. Methods: We evaluated arteriolar trees using IVVM of rat gluteus maximus muscle and developed a method to acquire single fluorescent‐labeled RBC velocities across arteriolar lumens to create velocity profiles. These data were used to calculate the blood flow for 37 vessel segments (diameters: 21–115 μ m). Results: Mass balance at arteriolar bifurcations had 0.6 ± 3.2% error. Velocity ratios ranged from 1.35 to 1.98 and were positively correlated with diameter ( p < 0.0001), and V RBC profiles were blunted with decreasing diameter. Conclusions: We present a means for quantifying blood flow in continuously branching skeletal muscle arterioles. Further, we provide an equation for calculating velocity ratios based on arteriolar diameter, which may be used by others for blood flow calculations.