[Acute lung edema after injury of the medulla oblongata (experimental study)]

In determining the role of medulla oblongata in the development of central edema of the lungs it was established that in rats edema develops regularly 1 hr 37 min +/- 17 min following damage to the caudomedian parts of the vagus nerve dorsal nuclei. Damage to the rostral part of the nucleus, its complete removal, destruction of adjacent structures are not attended by the development of lung edema but, on the contrary, reduce the amount of water in the lungs. The caudal, median, and rostral parts of the dorsal nuclei as well as the nuclei of the reticular formation are evidently a system regulating water balance in the lungs.