Effect of lung denervation on development of pulmonary edema

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship of an intact nervous system to the lung in the development of pulmonary edema. After unilateral denervation of a lung by autotransplantation, eight dogs were subjected to a period of increased intracranial pressure with air. A significant increase in pulmonary artery pressure and a 20% right-to-left shunt developed in all animals. The innervated lung of the animals subjected to increased intracranial pressure developed higher wet/dry lung weight ratios and 51Cr platelet counts compared to denervated lungs and to the five control innervated lungs. Thus intrapulmonary platelet sequestration and pulmonary edema occurred only in the intact innervated lung. These findings support the thesis that pulmonary edema following elevation of the intracranial pressure with air is the result of neurally induced alterations in pulmonary hemodynamics and platelet sequestration that could possibly lead to an increase in pulmonary vascular permeability.