Measurement of streaming potentials of mammalian blood vessels, aorta and vena cava, in vivo

Abstract

Attempts to measure streaming potentials in large rabbit blood vessels in vivo have been carried out. Streaming potentials, V(89), were measured by the introduction of microelectrodes through the wall of the blood vessel at separations greater than 1 cm. The outputs from these electrodes fed through calomel cells were amplified and recorded directly by using an Electronics for Medicine photorecorder (White Plains, N. Y.). "Effective streaming currents" were determined by running the output through a low impedence galvanometer while simultaneously measuring the resistance of the circuit V(8) were, therefore, calculated from two measurements and compared. Flow through vessels studied was measured using two different electromagnetic flowmeters. The results indicate that V(8) present in both aorta and vena cava are of the order of 5 to 10 mv. By using the Helmholtz-Smoluchowski equation into which flow was reintegrated, the numbers yield zeta potentials approximating 0.1 to 0.4 v in both aorta and vena cava. This number approaches the apparent upper limit for zeta (actually "interfacial potentials") potentials in biological systems. The measured "i.f." potential is considered as the interreaction of several physical and metabolic factors operating at the blood intimal interface. The polarity of the potential suggests that the interface is negative with respect to the blood flowing through the vessel. Interfacial potential and related V(8) are discussed in terms of their possible importance as a mechanism for maintaining vascular homeostasis in the living animal.