Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction in isolated rat lungs perfused with perfluorocarbon emulsion

Eight rat lungs were perfused in an in vitro circuit with a blood-PS solution and then with a perfluorocarbon emulsion (perfluorotributylamine, FC-43). With perfusion flow constant, the hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstrictor (HPV) response was measured as changes in pulmonary artery pressure when F1,O2 was changed to 0.1, 0.06, 0.04, 0.03, 0.02 and zero with FI,CO2 of 0.05. The hypoxic response to an FI,O2 of 0.03, with the blood-PSS perfusate, was an increase from baseline pressure of 93.5 +/- 18% and, with the perfluorocarbon perfusate was 67.5 +/- 18%; these values were not significantly different (P greater than 0.2). A stimulus-response relationship was obtained with the FC-43 perfusate by plotting the response as a percentage of the maximum response (R%max) against the logarithm of the alveolar oxygen tension. The equation for the linear portion of the response was R%max = 257.9-140.2 X log (10) PA,O2 and r = 0.78. The PA,O2 corresponding to half of the maximum response (ED50) was 30.4 mmHg. The present study demonstrated that HPV is maintained in isolated rat lungs perfused with an FC-43 emulsion. The stimulus-response relationship as well as the ED50 with the FC-43 is similar to earlier results with blood perfusate. Lung oedema was not found after perfusion with the FC-43 emulsion.