Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 59, Issue 5 1548-1554, Copyright © 1985 by American Physiological Society
Factors affecting tissue volume measurements in normal and edematous dog lungs
G. J. Huchon, A. Lipavsky, P. Pangburn, J. M. Hoeffel, G. Jibelian and J. F. Murray
To characterize further some of the factors affecting lung tissue
soluble-gas rebreathing volume (Vlt), we determined the solubility of
acetylene in blood and lung tissue, the influence of the presence of
pulmonary edema on tissue solubility, the effects of varying tidal volume
(VT), and the tissue volume actually measured in two groups of six
anesthetized paralyzed dogs: controls (C) and oleic acid-induced pulmonary
edema (OA). Each animal's solubility was used to compute Vlt for comparison
with gravimetric lung weight (Ql) and extravascular lung water content
(Qwl). Solubility at 37.5 degrees C in blood (0.125 ml X 100 ml-1 X Torr-1)
exceeded that in lung tissue (P less than 0.005): C = 0.118 and OA = 0.112
ml X 100 ml-1 X Torr-1 (NS). Vlt, expressed as %Ql, increased with
increasing VT (20, 35, and 50 ml/kg) in OA (62.2, 78.9, and 94.7%,
respectively, P less than 0.0001) but not in C (92.4, 94.4, and 99.3%,
respectively). We conclude that solubility differs in blood and lung tissue
but not in normal and edematous lungs, Vlt is not affected by VT in normal
dogs but is in those with pulmonary edema, and Vlt measures Ql rather than
Qwl.
