The Influence of Hypoxia on the Pulmonary Microcirculation.
Abstract
The objective of this research has been to study the effect of hypoxia on the pulmonary microcirculation. It has been well established that the pulmonary circulation has a vasopressor response to airway hypoxia. However, there is controversy over which vessels account for the increased resistance to blood flow. From the literature, it seems entirely possible that there is both a pulmonary arterial and a pulmonary venous component to this response. There is also evidence indicating that part of the response is intrinsic to the lung itself and another part is mediated by the sympathetic nervous system. A large part of the confusion stems from the inability of available techniques to resolve adequately the components of the pulmonary microcircu lation under in vivo conditions. For this reason, we developed a technique of implanting a transparent window in the chest wall of the dog to permit direct visualization of the pulmonary microcirculation. Considerable effort was devoted to the successful development of a system for arresting movement of the surface of the lung during spontaneous respiration. It was then possible to study the microcirculation using a surface illuminating microscope at magnifications up to oil immersion. It was also possible for us to control the animal's physiological condition such that his blood gases, blood pressures, and cardiac output were within normal limits during control conditions. pg 3. JMD
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1974
- Accession Number
- ADA291997
Entities
People
- Wiltz W. Wagner Jr
Organizations
- University of Colorado Boulder