Interrelations between pulmonary liquid volumes and lung compliance

Abstract

We have investigated the relative effects of lung edema and of increases in pulmonary blood volume (PBV) on lung compliance (CL), and also the effects of selective elevations of pulmonary arterial (Ppa) and left atrial (Pla) pressures on PBV and on CL, using an isolated, perfused, and ventilated rabbit lung preparation. Lung weight was continuously recorded. A step rise in Pla at constant flow caused a rapid rise in PBV accompanied by an immediate fall in CL. With maintained high vascular pressures interstitial edema accumulated with no further fall in CL. Not until 3 times the normal amount of extra-vascular fluid had accumulated did a further, secondary reduction in CL occur. When Ppa was elevated to the same level by 1) a rise in flow and 2) a rise in Pla, the latter type of experiment gave 3–5 times larger increases in PBV. Pla elevations with or without rise in Ppa (flow adjusted) gave almost the same rises in PBV. The fall in CL was related to rises in PBV regardless of how such rises were obtained. Our conclusion is that increases in PBV, but not accumulation of interstitial edema, reduced CL in this preparation.