Pulmonary hydrostatic microvascular pressure changes and lung fluid balance during histamine infusion in intact dogs

The effects of histamine on systemic and pulmonary hemodynamics of dogs were studied in six intact animals. Histamine infusion resulted in an almost immediate, precipitous fall in blood pressure (BP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), and right atrial pressure (RA) as well as an increase in heart rate. Partial recovery occurred about 5 minutes after infusion was stopped. Cardiac output did not change significantly. Consequently, the calculated peripheral resistance decreased afterwards. Hepatic portal pressure rose significantly after 2 minutes of histamine infusion with partial recovery in about 5 minutes. Suprahepatic venous pressure did not change significantly. Although pulmonary arterial pressure did not necessarily rise, total pulmonary vascular resistance increased in every dog. If the absolute level in pulmonary arterial resistance remained greater (Ra 105 mm Hg/liter-1 min X kg-1) than the level of venous resistance (Rv 70 mm Hg/liter-1 min X kg-1), the relative increase in venous resistance (100%) was higher than the increase in Ra (35%). On the other hand, effective capillary pulmonary pressure remained unchanged. Central blood volume and extravascular lung water increased upon histamine infusion and returned rapidly to baseline when histamine infusion was stopped. No significant changes occurred in either effective pulmonary compliance and arterial blood gas values. Our data lead us to conclude that histamine's major action occurs in the venous pulmonary segments; pulmonary and splanchnic blood pooling is responsible for a fall in cardiac preload; and an increase in extravascular lung water and central blood volume with unchanged effective pulmonary pressure might be explained by an increase in microvascular surface area.