Blood reservoir function of dog spleen, liver, and intestine.

The reflex decrease in blood volume of the spleen, the liver, and the intestine of vagotomized dogs was measured by plethysmographic techniques during bilateral carotid occlusion and moderate and severe hemorrhage. The volume of blood mobilized from each organ during carotid occlusion and moderate hemorrhage was from 6 to 30% of their respective blood volumes and from 55 to 81% during severe hemorrhage. In each experimental situation the spleen exhibited the greatest ability to release blood and the intestine, the least. During moderate hemorrhage (9 ml/kg) the spleen yielded a volume equal to 35% of the blood lost, the liver 14% and the intestine 7%. Comparable figures for severe hemorrhage were 26, 13, and 5%, respectively. This order of ranking the component regions of the splanchnic circulation with regard to function as a blood reservoir may be specific for the dog.