Carbon monoxide and pancreatic islet blood flow in the rat: inhibition of haem oxygenase does not affect islet blood perfusion.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether carbon monoxide, a known gaseous vasorelaxator, affects pancreatic islet blood flow in rats.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Sprague-Dawley rats were anaesthetized with thiobutabarbital and injected intravenously with the haem oxygenase inhibitor tin-protoporphyrin IX dichloride (SnPP; 4, 10 or 20 mg/kg body-weight). After 15 min, blood flow measurements were performed using a microsphere technique.

RESULTS

There was a slight increase in mean arterial blood pressure with the highest dose of SnPP. No effects on total pancreatic, islet, duodenal, colonic, renal or adrenal blood flow were seen with any of the applied doses.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study suggest that the haem oxygenase-carbon monoxide system is likely to be of limited importance in the regulation of blood perfusion to the pancreas, the islets of Langerhans or any of the other studied organs.