Lung interdependence and lung-chest wall interaction of sublobar and lobar units in pigs

In anesthetized and paralyzed pigs in the left decubitus position we obstructed, at functional residual capacity (FRC), either the right middle and lower lobes, or a small posterior basal lung unit, and then passively inflated the unobstructed remaining lung. Measurements were made of alveolar pressure in the obstructed and unobstructed lung regions as well as of esophageal pressure. The tendency of the obstructed lung region to inflate as the remainder of the lung was inflated was assessed by an index (A), which was the end-inspiratory pressure difference between unobstructed and obstructed alveolar pressures, normalized by the change in elastic recoil of unobstructed lung. With the chest wall intact, inflation of unobstructed lung resulted in a tendency to inflate the obstructed regions. This tendency was abolished with the chest wall removed. In a second group of pigs with the basilar lung unit obstructed, the height of the unit was changed by turning a pig from right to left decubitus positions. In each position A was assessed with both spontaneous and positive pressure ventilation. The magnitude of A was found to vary directly with the magnitude of caudal diaphragmatic motion and was greatest with the lung unit dependent and with spontaneous ventilation. These results suggest that lung-chest wall interaction was a more important factor tending to preserve homogenous inflation than lung tissue interdependence.