New hemodilution study findings reported from G.J. Crystal and co-authors.(Report)

"It is well known that hemoglobin is a scavenger of nitric oxide (NO). The present study used a canine model to test the hypothesis that acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) affects NO-mediated coronary vasodilation," investigators in the United States report (see also Hemodilution).

"Studies were performed in 18 open-chest, anesthetized dogs. In Series 1, the contribution of endogenous NO to coronary vasodilatation during ANH with 5% dextran-40 (reduction in hematocrit by 50%) was assessed. This was accomplished by comparing myocardial blood flow (MBF; radioactive microspheres) in the left anterior descending (LAD) region, which was treated with the NO synthase …