Distribution of blood flow during moderate and strenuous exercise in ponies (Equus caballus)

Abstract

Blood flow to the brain, heart, kidneys, diaphragm, and skeletal muscles was studied at rest and during graded treadmill exercise, using radionuclide-labeled microspheres (15 microns diameter), in 11 healthy adult ponies. Hemodynamic changes brought about by exercise included marked increases in cardiac output, mean aortic pressure, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and right ventricular systolic and end-diastolic pressures. Blood flow to the brain stem and cerebral hemispheres was unchanged during both moderate exercise (heart rate = 154 +/- 3 beats/min) and severe exercise (heart rate = 225 +/- 7 beats/min). Despite marked hypocapnia during severe exercise, cerebellar blood flow increased by 32% above control value (94 +/- 7 ml/min/100 g). Myocardial blood flow increased transmurally with both levels of exercise. The endo:epi (inner:outer) perfusion ratio for the left ventricle and the interventricular septum decreased during exercise. It was, however, not different from unity. During severe exercise, renal blood flow decreased to 19% of its control value. Blood flow to the diaphragm exceeded that to the skeletal muscles during both intensities of exercise. Blood flow to the exercising muscles of the brachium and thigh increased by 31- to 38-fold during moderate exercise and by 70- to 76-fold during severe exercise. It is concluded that the cardiovascular response to strenuous exercise in the pony included an increase in blood flow to the cerebellum, myocardium, diaphragm, and exercising skeletal muscles, while blood flow was diverted away from the kidneys. It would appear that the pony's cardiovascular response to severe exercise is similar to that of persons.