perfused

Perfused is the adjective describing a tissue, organ, or body part that is supplied with a flowing liquid, typically blood in living organisms or a perfusate in experimental settings. Perfusion is the process that distributes oxygen and nutrients while removing waste, enabling cellular metabolism and function.

In vivo perfusion refers to the circulation of blood through the vascular system of a living organism. Adequate perfusion depends on cardiac output, vascular resistance, and capillary density. Insufficient blood flow is called hypoperfusion and can cause ischemia and tissue injury, while excessive flow is termed hyperperfusion and may occur after injury or in certain pathological states.

Ex vivo and experimental perfusion describe the delivery of a fluid through an isolated organ or tissue for preservation, study, or transplantation. Perfusion can use whole blood, oxygenated solutions, or commercially formulated perfusates. Techniques include perfusion fixation, where fixatives are circulated to preserve tissue architecture, and machine perfusion used to preserve organs such as the heart, liver, lungs, or kidneys before transplantation, often improving viability.

Perfusion can be assessed with imaging and functional measurements. Perfusion imaging uses CT, MRI, or ultrasound to visualize and quantify blood flow to tissues. In research, perfused preparations such as the Langendorff heart or ex vivo lung perfusion provide controlled environments to study physiology, pharmacology, and disease processes without whole-body confounders.

The term perfused thus encompasses both natural blood flow in living organisms and controlled liquid delivery in laboratory and clinical settings.