Mechanism of hemodynamic responses to occlusion of the descending thoracic aorta.

To examine left ventricular responses to aortic occlusion, changes in end-diastolic volume (EDV) and end-systolic volume (ESV) were estimated by ultrasonic recordings of myocardial distances in atropinized open-chest dogs. During aortic occlusion EDV and ESV increased equally, systolic left ventricular pressure (LVP) rose by 86 +/- 8 mmHg, and blood flow more than doubled in the superior vena cava and fell by 90% in the inferior vena cava. During combined occlusion of aorta and inferior vena cava, systolic LVP and superior vena cava flow did not rise above control and EDV declined. By infusing 25 +/- 2 ml/kg body wt of blood during combined occlusion, the effects of aortic occlusion could be reproduced; control values before blood infusion were reestablished by withdrawal of only one-third of the infused volume, indicating a shunt line along the spinal column. Thus during aortic occlusion, transfer of blood accounts for the rise in EDV and increased activation of the Frank-Starling mechanism; increased afterload raises ESV as much as EDV in anesthetized dogs not subjected to sympathetic stimulation. Consequently, stroke volume is maintained and systolic LVP increased.