Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 38, Issue 6 1148-1152, Copyright © 1975 by American Physiological Society
Lung volumes, mechanics, and single-breath diffusing capacity in anesthetized cats
S. Watanabe and R. Frank
We measured lung weight, lung volumes, pulmonary mechanics, and carbon
monoxide transfer (DLCO, single-breath method) in healthy cats (3.3 +/- 0.4
kg) that were anesthetized, paralyzed, and mechanically ventilated through
a tracheal cannula. Compared with Stahl's predicted values which were based
on regression analyses of data collected from several species, our cats had
larger and more compliant lungs in relation to body weight, higher DLCO per
unit body weight, and similar DLCO/TLC (size independent constant).
Compared with Robinson et al.'s values derived entirely from studies on
dogs, our cats had significantly smaller lung volumes and DLCO per unit
body weight, DLCO/TLC and similar ratios of CL/FRC. Several factors appear
to contribute to the functional variations among mammalian species:
differences in the relation of lung to body weight, differences in the
relation of chest wall compliance to lung compliance, and differences in
the fundamental structure and design of the respiratory systems.
Differences in methodology are acknowledged to be an additional factor.
