Journal of Applied Physiology Fuel your research with LabChart
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

J Appl Physiol 15: 405-410, 1960;
8750-7587/60 $5.00
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by West, J. B.
Right arrow Articles by Dollery, C. T.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by West, J. B.
Right arrow Articles by Dollery, C. T.

Distribution of blood flow and ventilation-perfusion ratio in the lung, measured with radioactive CO2

J. B. West 1 and C. T. Dollery 1

1 Department of Medicine, Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London, England

Inhaled radioactive CO2 is rapidly taken up by pulmonary blood. By external counting over the chest during breath holding, the clearance rate of radioactive CO2 from the counting field can be recorded, and is proportional to the regional perfusion. In normal subjects, the clearance rate varied from about 20%/ sec. at the base of the lung to virtually nil at the apex, and the change was approximately linear with distance up the chest. The difference between upper and lower zones was reduced on moderate exercise and eliminated when the subject lay on his back. By relating the counting rate at the end of inspiration to the volume of lung in the counting field, the difference in ventilation between upper and lower zones was measured and found to be small. Variation in ventilation-perfusion ratio was thus determined. Alveolar-arterial O2 gradient expected from this ventilation-perfusion ratio inequality was calculated to be about 4 mm Hg. This suggests that the variation in blood flow between upper and lower parts of the lung in erect man accounts for the whole of the ventilation-perfusion ratio inequality in the normal lung.

Submitted on November 23, 1959




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol.Home page
R. M. Effros, P. Pornsuriyasak, J. Porszasz, and R. Casaburi
Indicator dilution measurements of extravascular lung water: basic assumptions and observations
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, June 1, 2008; 294(6): L1023 - L1031.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
R. Glenny
Counterpoint: Gravity is not the major factor determining the distribution of blood flow in the healthy human lung
J Appl Physiol, May 1, 2008; 104(5): 1533 - 1535.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
M. Hughes and J. B. West
Last Word on Point:Counterpoint: Gravity is/is not the major factor determining the distribution of blood flow in the human lung
J Appl Physiol, May 1, 2008; 104(5): 1539 - 1539.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
Rebuttal from Dr. Glenny
J Appl Physiol, May 1, 2008; 104(5): 1535 - 1536.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
M. Hughes and J. B. West
Point:Counterpoint: Gravity is/is not the major factor determining the distribution of blood flow in the human lung
J Appl Physiol, May 1, 2008; 104(5): 1531 - 1533.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
R. Glenny
Last Word on Point:Counterpoint: Gravity is/is not the major factor determining the distribution of blood flow in the human lung
J Appl Physiol, May 1, 2008; 104(5): 1540 - 1540.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
G. K. Prisk, K. Yamada, A. C. Henderson, T. J. Arai, D. L. Levin, R. B. Buxton, and S. R. Hopkins
Pulmonary perfusion in the prone and supine postures in the normal human lung
J Appl Physiol, September 1, 2007; 103(3): 883 - 894.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Physiol.Home page
G. Drummond
Variation in time and space: what is the resolution?
J. Physiol., September 1, 2007; 583(2): 417 - 417.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
S. R. Hopkins, A. C. Henderson, D. L. Levin, K. Yamada, T. Arai, R. B. Buxton, and G. K. Prisk
Vertical gradients in regional lung density and perfusion in the supine human lung: the Slinky effect
J Appl Physiol, July 1, 2007; 103(1): 240 - 248.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
H. T. Robertson and M. P. Hlastala
Microsphere maps of regional blood flow and regional ventilation
J Appl Physiol, March 1, 2007; 102(3): 1265 - 1272.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
J. Petersson, A. Sanchez-Crespo, S. A. Larsson, and M. Mure
Physiological imaging of the lung: single-photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT)
J Appl Physiol, January 1, 2007; 102(1): 468 - 476.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Adv. Physiol. Educ.Home page
M. G. Levitzky
Teaching the effects of gravity and intravascular and alveolar pressures on the distribution of pulmonary blood flow using a classic paper by West et al.
Advan Physiol Educ, March 1, 2006; 30(1): 5 - 8.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Exp PhysiolHome page
M. H. Tawhai, K. S. Burrowes, and E. A. Hoffman
Computational models of structure-function relationships in the pulmonary circulation and their validation
Exp Physiol, March 1, 2006; 91(2): 285 - 293.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc Am Thorac SocHome page
E. A. Hoffman and D. Chon
Computed Tomography Studies of Lung Ventilation and Perfusion
Proceedings of the ATS, December 1, 2005; 2(6): 492 - 498.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
S. M. Walther, M. J. Johansson, T. Flatebo, A. Nicolaysen, and G. Nicolaysen
Marked differences between prone and supine sheep in effect of PEEP on perfusion distribution in zone II lung
J Appl Physiol, September 1, 2005; 99(3): 909 - 914.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 RadiologyHome page
H. J. Lee, J.-G. Im, J. M. Goo, Y. I. Kim, M. W. Lee, H.-G. Ryu, J.-H. Bahk, and C.-G. Yoo
Acute Lung Injury: Effects of Prone Positioning on Cephalocaudal Distribution of Lung Inflation--CT Assessment in Dogs
Radiology, January 1, 2005; 234(1): 151 - 161.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
J. Petersson, A. Sanchez-Crespo, M. Rohdin, S. Montmerle, S. Nyren, H. Jacobsson, S. A. Larsson, S. G. E. Lindahl, D. Linnarsson, R. W. Glenny, et al.
Physiological evaluation of a new quantitative SPECT method measuring regional ventilation and perfusion
J Appl Physiol, March 1, 2004; 96(3): 1127 - 1136.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
J. B. West ;, R. W. Glenny, M. P. Hlastala, and H. T. Robertson
Importance of gravity in determining the distribution of pulmonary blood flow
J Appl Physiol, November 1, 2002; 93(5): 1888 - 1891.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
H. Chang, S. J. Lai-Fook, K. B. Domino, C. Schimmel, J. Hildebrandt, H. T. Robertson, R. W. Glenny, and M. P. Hlastala
Spatial distribution of ventilation and perfusion in anesthetized dogs in lateral postures
J Appl Physiol, February 1, 2002; 92(2): 745 - 762.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
A. T. Jones, D. M. Hansell, and T. W. Evans
Pulmonary perfusion in supine and prone positions: an electron-beam computed tomography study
J Appl Physiol, April 1, 2001; 90(4): 1342 - 1348.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
R. W. Glenny, W. J. E. Lamm, S. L. Bernard, D. An, M. Chornuk, S. L. Pool, W. W. Wagner Jr, M. P. Hlastala, and H. T. Robertson
Physiology of a Microgravity Environment: Selected Contribution: Redistribution of pulmonary perfusion during weightlessness and increased gravity
J Appl Physiol, September 1, 2000; 89(3): 1239 - 1248.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
G. K. Prisk
Physiology of a Microgravity Environment: Invited Review: Microgravity and the lung
J Appl Physiol, July 1, 2000; 89(1): 385 - 396.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.Home page
K.-H. CHOE, Y.-T. KIM, T.-S. SHIM, C.-M. LIM, S.-D. LEE, Y. KOH, W.-S. KIM, D.-S. KIM, J.-S. RYU, and W.-D. KIM
Closing Volume Influences the Postural Effect on Oxygenation in Unilateral Lung Disease
Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., June 1, 2000; 161(6): 1957 - 1962.
[Abstract] [Full Text]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
R. W. Glenny, S. Bernard, H. T. Robertson, and M. P. Hlastala
Gravity is an important but secondary determinant of regional pulmonary blood flow in upright primates
J Appl Physiol, February 1, 1999; 86(2): 623 - 632.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
M. P. Hlastala, M. A. Chornuk, D. A. Self, H. J. Kallas, J. W. Burns, S. Bernard, N. L. Polissar, and R. W. Glenny
Pulmonary blood flow redistribution by increased gravitational force
J Appl Physiol, April 1, 1998; 84(4): 1278 - 1288.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
A.-M. Lauzon, A. R. Elliott, M. Paiva, J. B. West, and G. K. Prisk
Cardiogenic oscillation phase relationships during single-breath tests performed in microgravity
J Appl Physiol, February 1, 1998; 84(2): 661 - 668.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol.Home page
M. Kleen, O. Habler, J. Hutter, G. Kemming, A. Podtschaske, M. Tiede, M. Welte, P. E. Keipert, S. Batra, N. S. Faithfull, et al.
Hemodilution and hyperoxia locally change distribution of regional pulmonary perfusion in dogs
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, February 1, 1998; 274(2): H520 - H528.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Visit Other APS Journals Online