Journal of Applied Physiology AJP: Endocrinology and Metabolism
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J Appl Physiol 97: 522-526, 2004; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00068.2003
8750-7587/04 $5.00
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Blood flow switching among pulmonary capillaries is decreased during high hematocrit

William A. Baumgartner, Jr.,1 Amanda J. Peterson,1 Robert G. Presson, Jr.,1 Nobuhiro Tanabe,4 Eric M. Jaryszak,2 and Wiltz W. Wagner, Jr.1,2,3

Departments of 1Anesthesia, 2Cellular and Integrative Physiology, and 3Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202; and 4Department of Chest Medicine, Chiba University School of Medicine, Chiba 280, Japan

Submitted 23 January 2003 ; accepted in final form 8 April 2004

Pulmonary capillary perfusion within a single alveolar wall continually switches among segments, even when large-vessel hemodynamics are constant. The mechanism is unknown. We hypothesize that the continually varying size of plasma gaps between individual red blood cells affects the likelihood of capillary segment closure and the probability of cells changing directions at the next capillary junction. We assumed that an increase in hematocrit would decrease the average distance between red blood cells, thereby decreasing the switching at each capillary junction. To test this idea, we observed 26 individual alveolar capillary networks by using videomicroscopy of excised canine lung lobes that were perfused first at normal hematocrit (31–43%) and then at increased hematocrit (51–62%). The number of switches decreased by 38% during increased hematocrit (P < 0.01). These results support the idea that a substantial part of flow switching among pulmonary capillaries is caused by the particulate nature of blood passing through a complex network of tubes with continuously varying hematocrit.

pulmonary microcirculation; pulmonary capillary recruitment; isolated canine lung lobes; dogs


Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: W. W. Wagner, Jr., MS 457, Dept. of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana Univ. School of Medicine, 635 Barnhill Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46202-5120 (E-mail: wwagner{at}iupui.edu).






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