Abstract
We devised a technique that permitted elevation of pulmonary pressures in unanesthetized sheep by occluding their pulmonary veins. Using this technique, we raised pulmonary capillary pressure from a baseline of 13.2 ± 2.2 to 35.3 ± 5.1 mmHg. This increased lung lymph flow (from 8.8 ± 2.7 to 53.1 ± 13.9 ml/h). We estimated the pulmonary microvascular oncotic reflection coefficient and found it to be 0.82 ± 0.05 (SD). The filtration coefficient was 0.019 ± 0.005 ml·mmHg-1·min-1. During the period of increased pressure, the animals had stable arterial pressures and cardiac outputs. None of the animals developed blood coagulation problems. These data illustrate the usefulness of pulmonary venous occlusion to elevate pulmonary microvascular pressure to obtain plasma-to-lymph protein concentration ratios independent of flow, allowing for the calculation of the oncotic reflection coefficient.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 2311-2316 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Journal of Applied Physiology |
Volume | 69 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1990 |
Keywords
- lymph-to-plasma protein concentration
- pulmonary lymph flow
- pulmonary venous occluders
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physiology
- Physiology (medical)