Effects of small changes of blood volume on oxygen delivery and tissue oxygenation.

Circulatory effects of small (approximately 10%) changes in blood volume were examined in resting and exercising dogs: controls; group A (-200 ml blood); group B (+200 ml blood); group C (+200 ml 6% dextran). In exercise, cardiac output (Q) increased more in Group A than controls (510.4 ml . kg-1 . min-1 compared to 429.6 ml . kg-1 . min-1; P less than 0.05); oxygen delivery (cardiac output x arterial O2 content) and mixed venous oxygen tension (PVO2) were unchanged from exercising controls. Hypervolemia (group B) did not change Q or O2 delivery compared to controls, but caused a greater reduction in exercise PVO2 (29.3 mmHg compared to 33.1 mmHg in controls; P less than 0.01). Resting PVO2 as raised in group C (50.0 mmHg compared to 46.3 mmHg; P less than 0.05) and exercise PVO2 was reduced less (35.5 mmHg compared to 33.1 mmHg in controls; P less than 0.05). O2 delivery in exercise was higher than in controls (123.4 ml . kg-1 . min-1 compared to 94.3 ml . kg-1 . min-1; P less than 0.001). During exercise, O2 consumption was raised from base line to 34.9 ml . kg-1 . min-1 in controls and raised further to 41.4 ml . kg-1 . min-1 in group A, 44.4 ml . kg-1 . min-1 in group B, and 41.2 ml . kg-1 . min-1 in group C (P less than 0.01). Changes of blood volume that lie within physiological limits thus significantly modify the circulatory response to changed O2 requirements, and also change the metabolic cost of exercise.