EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION MEASURING GASTRIC BLOOD FLOW USING HYDROGEN GAS GENERATED BY ELECTROLYSIS

Abstract

In this report we introduced a new method to measure gastric blood flow using hydrogen gas generated by electrolysis. This method uses a small probe consisting of two platinum wires, one of which is used to generate and the other to measure hydrogen. In this method diffusion of H2 gas to the surrounding areas cannot be disregarded, and therefore the values are greater in general than those found in the H2 inhalation method, and also in order to calculate the absolute values of blood flow it is necessary to observe the changes due only to diffusion after cardiac arrest. The major advantages of the local H2 generation method are that the apparatus and procedure is extremely simple and this method requires less time than the inhalation method because measurements can be made without inhalation of H2 gas. And the repeatability of this method was found to be very good. Adding to this pulse method we also presented a continuously measuring method of local hydrogen pressure to yield qualitative data on local blood flow. Using these pulse and continuous methods we investigated the effect of gastrin on the dog's gastric blood flow. Gastrin increased blood flow in the pulse method but in the continuous method the curve showed a reverse response. And the basic experiment revealed that pH change have influence on the movement of the curve.