Hydraulic conductivity of ischemic pulmonary venules
Qiao, R.L.; Sadurski, R.; Bhattacharya, J.
American Journal of Physiology 264(4 Pt 1): L382-L386
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9513 PMID: 8476067 Document Number: 410379
We report the first determination of lung endothelial barrier properties in ischemic, nonreperfused microvessels. We quantified the endothelial barrier in terms of hydraulic conductivity (L-p) in single pulmonary venules (diameter 20-50 mu-m) of isolated blood perfused lungs (dog, rat), held at constant inflation pressure (5 cmH-2O) with a gas mixture containing 21% oxygen. L-p were determined by our split-drop technique in which an oil drop is first microinjected into a venule and then split by microinjection of a protein solution. L-p was interpreted from measurements of the rate of oil drop movement. Baseline L-p recorded in the first 30 min of perfusion averaged 3.4 +- 0.9 times 10-7 ml/(cm-2 cntdot s cntdot cmH-2O). Then, in two separate groups of venules in which we established 1.3 +- 0.1 h and 3.4 +- 0.8 h of ischemia, we determined L-p which were, respectively, 145 +- 6.5 and 308 +- 13% above baseline (P lt 0.05). We conclude that ischemia alone, in the absence of reperfusion, significantly deteriorates the lung endothelial barrier.