Bronchial blood flow measured by video dilution technique in sheep

Bronchial blood flow was studied with the video dilution technique (VDT) in seven sheep. All animals were anesthetized (thiamylal and halothane) and ventilated. A videodensitometer and a videotape replay of the fluoroscopic image of dye moving through the common bronchial artery were used to construct dye mass vs. time curves. The areas under the curves were inversely proportional to flow in the bronchoesophageal artery, the site of dye injection. At thoracotomy, an electromagnetic flow probe (EMFP) was placed on the common bronchial artery (the major branch of the bronchoesophageal artery) to measure blood flow changes simultaneously by EMFP and by VDT. These two methods of measurement of blood flow to the airways were compared to validate the use of VDT in this circulation. Common bronchial artery blood flow was increased by injection of radiocontrast dye into the fluoroscopically positioned bronchoesophageal artery catheter causing hyperosmotically induced hyperemia. In 160 simultaneous measurements in five sheep, the percent change in flow as measured by EMFP and VDT correlated closely (r = 0.96). When flow changed because of spontaneous aortic pressure changes or pharmacologic intervention (28 simultaneous measurements in five sheep), the percent change in flow by EMFP and VDT also correlated well (r = 0.98). Bronchial blood flow changes in sheep can be measured accurately using the video dilution technique.