Abstract
There are many papers that discussed precapillary oxygen loss. It means arterioles play an important part in oxygen supply to tissues. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of arteriole in oxygen transport and the effect of its geometry on oxygen distribution in tissue. We used confocal laser scanning microscope to visualize microvasculature and determined vascular geometry. For mathematical simplification, oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve were assumed to follow Hill's equation and facilitated diffusion coefficient was incorporated. The model, which excluded capillary networks shows that one arteriole seems to supply to tissue to the extent of 200-300 um long in the radial direction. When oxygen consumption rate (CMRO_2) is bigger than 2 (cm)^3-O_2/100g/min, the tissue hypoxia (Po_2<1mm Hg) was largely shown beneath surface in spite of high blood velocity (15mm/s). Actually, CMRO_2 at surface layer is smaller than other layers. Accordingly, these indicate that capillary networks between arterioles and the heterogeneity of CMRO_2 in cortex are important in oxygen distribution in tissue.
