Properties of Special Circulation Flashcards
What are the 5 special circulations?
→ Cerebral → Pulmonary → Skeletal Muscle → Renal → GI
What are the 3 characteristics to consider with special circulations?
→ Special requirements are met by circulation
→ Special structural or functional features of the circulation
→ Specific problems relating to that circulation
Where do the two coronary arteries originate from?
→ The left side of the heart at the beginning (root) of the aorta just after it exits the left ventricle
Where do cardiac veins carry deoxygenated blood?
→ From the myocardium to the right atrium
Where does most of the blood of the coronary veins return to?
→ Returns through the coronary sinus
What are the special requirements of the coronary circulation?
→ Needs a high basal supply of O2
→ 20 x that of skeletal muscle
- High capillary density
- Large surface area for O2 transfer
- Together these reduce diffusion distance to myocytes….diffusion time is proportional to distance squared – so O2 transport is fast.
Why does the coronary circulation have a high capillary density?
→ Large surface area for O2 transfer
→ Reduces the diffusion distance to the myocytes
→Cardiac muscle contains high numbers of fibres and capillaries
giving rise to shorter diffusion distances.
Skeletal fibre diameter=50um capillaries=400/mm2
Cardiac muscle fibre diameter= 18um
capillaries 3000/mm2
What is diffusion time proportional to?
→ Distance squared
What is the blood flow of the coronary circulation during normal activity?
→ High blood flow
→ x10 of the flow per weight of the rest of the body
What is the sympathetic innervation like in the coronary circulation?
→relatively sparse
What is O2 extraction like during normal activity?
→ High nitric oxide released leading to vasodilatation so:
High O2 extraction 75%
→ average in the body 25%
How does the production of vasodilators change during increased demand?
→ Production of vasodilators out-compete relatively low sympathetic vasoconstriction
Why does adrenaline dilate coronary vessels?
→ Abundance of Beta 2 adrenoreceptors
How is 75% of the oxygen able to be unloaded to the myocardium during normal activity?
→ Coronary sinus blood returning to the right atrium from myocardial tissue has a greater CO2 content due to high capillary density, surface area and small diffusion
→The high CO2 and low pH has shifted the curve to the right
→Hb has less affinity for O2 and more O2 is given up to myocardial tissues.
Increased 2,3 DPG indicates lots of metabolic activity
How does increased O2 requirement produce increased blood flow?
→Extraction is near maximum during normal activity
→ To provide more O2 during demand blood flow must increase
→ Myocardium metabolism generates metabolites to produce vasodilation which increases blood flow eg. Adenosine, produced by ATP metabolism and is released from cardiac myocytes. Also, increases in pCO2, H+, K+ levels.
Describe ischaemic heart disease
→Coronary arteries are functional end-arteries and therefore decreased perfusion produces major problems
→The heart is very susceptible to sudden and slow obstruction
What does sudden ischaemic heart disease produce?
→ acute thrombosis
→ Myocardial infarction
What can lead to slow ischaemic heart disease?
→ Atheroma
→ Chronic narrowing of lumen - produces angina
→ Systole obstructs coronary flow because only diastole that blood moves through the heart
What does occlusion of the Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery in thrombosis lead to?
→ obstruction of blood flow to anterior left ventricle