Cardiovascular Physiology Concepts
                                    Richard E. Klabunde, Ph.D.

Autoregulation is a manifestation of local blood flow regulation. It is defined as the intrinsic ability of an organ to maintain a constant blood flow despite changes in perfusion pressure. For example, if perfusion pressure is decreased to an organ (e.g., by partially occluding the arterial supply to the organ), blood flow initially falls, then returns toward normal levels over the next few minutes. This autoregulatory response occurs in the absence of neural and hormonal influences and therefore is intrinsic to the organ. When perfusion pressure (arterial minus venous pressure, P_A-P_V) initially decreases, blood flow (F) falls because of the following relationship between pressure, flow and resistance:

When blood flow falls, arterial resistance (R) falls as the resistance vessels (small arteries and arterioles) dilate. Many studies suggest that that metabolic, myogenic and endothelial mechanisms are responsible for this vasodilation. As resistance decreases, blood flow increases despite the presence of reduced perfusion pressure.

This autoregulatory response is shown in the top panel of the figure. For example, if perfusion pressure is reduced from 100 to 70 mmHg, this causes flow to decrease initially by approximately 30%. Over the next few minutes, however, flow begins to increase back toward control if the organ is capable of autoregulating (red lines). This occurs because vascular resistance falls. If autoregulation does not occur, the flow will remain decreased.

If an organ is subjected to an experimental study in which perfusion pressure is both increased and decreased over a wide range of pressures, and the steady-state autoregulatory flow response measured, then the relationship between steady-state flow and perfusion pressure can be plotted as shown in the bottom panel of the figure.  The red line represents the autoregulatory responses in which flow changes relatively little despite a large change in perfusion pressure. If a vasodilator drug is infused into an organ so that it is maximally dilated and incapable of autoregulatory behavior, the curve labeled "Passive Dilated" is generated as perfusion pressure is changed. It is non-linear because blood vessels passively dilate with increasing pressures, thereby reducing resistance to flow. If a vasodilator is not infused so that the organ can undergo autoregulation, then there will be a range of perfusion pressures where flow will not follow the "Passive Dilated" curve. In fact, the flow over a particular range of perfusion pressures (i.e., autoregulatory range) may change very little as shown in this example (e.g., as found in coronary and cerebral circulations). The "Passive Constricted" curve represents the pressure-flow relationship when the vasculature is maximally constricted.  The bottom panel also shows that there is a pressure below which an organ is incapable of autoregulating its flow because it is maximally dilated. This perfusion pressure, depending upon the organ, may be between 50-70 mmHg. Below this perfusion pressure, blood flow decreases passively in response to further reductions in perfusion pressure. This has clinical implications for coronary, cerebral, and peripheral arterial disease. There is an upper limit to the autoregulatory range; however, this upper limit is seldom reached physiologically.

Different organs display varying degrees of autoregulatory behavior. The renal, cerebral, and coronary circulations show excellent autoregulation, whereas skeletal muscle and splanchnic circulations show moderate autoregulation. The cutaneous circulation shows little or no autoregulatory capacity.

Under what conditions does autoregulation occur and why is it important?  A change in systemic arterial pressure, as occurs for example with hypotension caused by hypovolemia or circulatory shock, can lead to autoregulatory responses in certain organs.  In hypotension, despite baroreceptor reflexes that constrict much of the systemic vasculature, blood flow to the brain and myocardium does not decline appreciably (unless the arterial pressure falls below the autoregulatory range) because of the strong capacity of these organs to autoregulate.  Autoregulation, therefore, ensures that these critical organs have an adequate blood flow and oxygen delivery.

There are situations in which arterial pressure does not change, yet autoregulation is very important.  Whenever a distributing artery to an organ becomes narrowed (e.g., atherosclerotic narrowing of lumen, vasospasm, or partial occlusion with a thrombus) this can result in an autoregulatory response.  Narrowing (see stenosis) of distributing arteries increases their resistance and hence the pressure drop along their length.  This results in a reduced pressure at the level of smaller arteries and arterioles, which are the primary vessels for regulating blood flow within an organ.  These resistance vessels dilate in response to reduced pressure and blood flow.  This autoregulation is particularly important in organs such as the brain and heart in which partial occlusion of large arteries can lead to significant reductions in oxygen delivery, thereby leading to tissue hypoxia and organ dysfunction.

RK Revised 04/06/2007

DISCLAIMER: These materials are for educational purposes only, and are not a source of medical decision-making advice.

© 1999-2008 Richard E. Klabunde, all rights reserved.