SEGMENTAL VASCULAR-RESISTANCE DURING PULSATILE AND STEADY PERFUSION IN 3-WK-OLD TO 5-WK-OLD RABBIT LUNGS

To determine the mechanisms by which pulsatile perfusion reduces vascular resistance in isolated lungs, we compared the effects of pulsatile versus steady perfusion on total and segmental vascular resistance in isolated lungs of 3- to 5-wk-old rabbits. Lungs were perfused alternately with steady and pulsatile flow for 45-min periods at a constant total arteriovenous pressure drop. Blood flow was adjusted to keep mean pulmonary arterial pressure at 20 cmH2O, when left atrial and airway pressures were 8 and 6 cmH2O, respectively. We partitioned the pulmonary circulation into three longitudinal vascular segments, i.e., arteries, microvessels, and veins, by measuring pressures in 20-to 50-mu-m-diameter subpleural arterioles and venules by the micropipette servo-nulling method. We found that in the isolated, perfused 3- to 5-wk-old rabbit lung, in which arteries and veins are the main sites of resistance, pulsatile flow results in a 20-36% reduction in total vascular resistance, mainly due to a reduction in arterial and venous resistances. The decrease in total vascular resistance was similar in lungs that were untreated or treated with papaverine, indicating that the effect of pulsatile flow was not due to active vasomotion. The reduction in arterial resistance was greater than that in veins (31-55 vs. 19-22%), especially when pulse amplitude was high (5-10 vs. 20-30 cmH2O). Total vascular resistance was also lower after 45 min of pulsatile perfusion with a pulse rate of 200 pulses/min than 80 pulses/min (0.126 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.154 +/- 0.059 cmH2O. min.ml-1.kg). Our data suggest that the reduction in vascular resistance during pulsatile perfusion is either related to recruitment of small arterioles and venules or due to a mechanical effect on the vascular smooth muscle wall.