Regional blood flow in response to exercise in conscious dogs.

Regional blood flow was measured with the microsphere method in conscious dogs under resting conditions and during moderate exercise on the treadmill. With respect to total organ blood flow, exercise induced a marked increase in blood flow to the calf muscles and to the myocardium, and a significant decrease in the arterial blood supply to the liver. Slight changes in blood flow to the other organs under study (various skeletal muscles, skin, brain, kidneys, intestine) were not significant. Study of the blood flow distribution within the myocardium showed a slight decrease of the ratio of subendocardial to subepicardial blood flow in the left ventricular free wall in response to exercise, and within the brain there was a relative increase in the blood flow to the cerebellum.