Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Fluid exchange in tunnel and tube capillaries

1973; Elsevier BV; Volume: 6; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0026-2862(73)90017-4

1095-9319

Marcos Intaglietta, E.P. de Plomb,

Barrier Structure and Function Studies

The phenomena of fluid exchange in blood capillaries described by Starling's hypothesis are analyzed in terms of the properties of the endothelial barrier and the surrounding tissue. Two types of capillaries are defined: tube capillaries, where the rate of fluid exchange between intra- and extravascular space is determined by the capillary filtration coefficient, and tunnel capillaries, where the rate of exchange is determined by the hydraulic properties of the interstitium. The functional exchange properties of capillaries in mesentery, omentum, and cremaster muscle are shown to be those of tube capillaries. In hypothetical three-dimensional tissues whose capillaries and interstitium have the properties of mesentery, the functional aspects of fluid exchange can be explained by either model. It is also shown that in tissues whose capillaries are of the tunnel type exchange is strongly influenced by the capillary spacing. These results provide a basis of determining the relative importance of the endothelial barrier versus the surrounding medium as factors that govern fluid exchange.