Determination of the local muscular blood flow in the hind limbs of dogs during electrolysis of electrically conducting vascular prostheses preimplanted into the abdominal aorta

The peripheral blood flow in the hind limbs was studied in experiments on 25 mongrel dogs during electrolysis of electrically conducting vascular prostheses preimplanted into the abdominal aorta. After restoration of the trunk blood flow, a positive electrical potential of 3–4 V was applied to the prosthesis by means of a current conductor. The tissue blood flow was determined by a radiographic method using xenon-133. The results showed that during application of the positive potential to the electrically conducting prosthesis the tissue blood flow in the hind limbs of the dogs increased, but after application of the current stopped it fell to its initial level. It is concluded that to obtain a prolonged and stable increase in the tissue blood flow in the limbs of animals, a positive potential from a dc source must be applied continuously to the electrically conducting prosthesis.