Control of elevated pulmonary vascular resistance in neonatal swine with prostacyclin (PGI2)

Three groups of neonatal piglets were anesthetised and base-line hemodynamic measurements were made. The piglets were then subjected to hypoxia and hypercapnea to raise pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and further hemodynamic measurements were made over a period of at least 100 minutes. During the last 80 minutes of this period the control group received an infusion of 0.05M Tris buffer [the vehicle for prostacyclin (PGI2)], the second group received an infusion of 0.5 microgram/kg/min PGI2, and the third group received an infusion of 1.0 microgram/kg/min PGI2.