Time course of respiratory mechanics during histamine challenge in the dog

We studied the dynamics of respiratory mechanical parameters in anesthetized tracheostomized paralyzed dogs challenged with a bolus of histamine injected either venously (venous group) or arterially (arterial group). The venous group was further divided into two groups: the first was bilaterally vagotomized and received hexamethonium bromide (denervated group), and the second also received atropine sulfate (atropine group). In the venous group, tissue resistance (Rti) and tissue elastance (Eti) increased biphasically, whereas airway resistance was monophasic and synchronized with the second rise of the tissue parameters. In the arterial group, Rti, Eti, and airway resistance increased synchronously. The denervated and atropine groups showed dynamics similar to those of the venous group. We postulate that the first phase observed in Rti and Eti in the venous group is due to constriction of the smooth muscles of the peripheral airways and blood vessels distorting the parenchyma. The second and larger phase is then due to histamine reaching the bronchial circulation and constricting the central airways, again distorting the parenchyma. The results from the arterial group support this hypothesis, whereas those from the denervated group ascertain that none of the phases observed in the venous group was due to nervous reflexes.