Alveolar volume-surface area relation in air- and saline-filled lungs fixed by vascular perfusion

The influence of volume changes and interfacial forces on the geometry of peripheral air spaces was studied in excised rabbit lungs inflated with either air or saline and fixed by vascular perfusion at four points of the deflation limb of the pressure-volume curve corresponding to 100, 80, 60, and 40% of the total lung capacity (TLC). In air-filled lungs pleating and folding of alveolar septa were observed, especially in alveolar corners. However, the alveolar surfaces were smooth, except at low lung volumes where some surface crumpling occurred. In saline-filled lungs pleats were absent; the alveolar surface was irregular at all inflation levels due to undulating walls and bulging capillaries. Morphometry indicated that at all alveolar volumes (VA) the surface areas (SA) were larger in saline- than air-filled lungs. No simple mathematical function was found to characterize the relation between SA and VA over the entire volume range studied. Within the range of normal breaths (80 to 40% TLC) the best fit for n in the function SA = k.VnA was 0.58 for saline-filled lungs (r = 0.93) and 0.33 for air-filled lungs (r = 0.68), suggesting different and complex deflation patterns.