Measuring the weight of the isolated perfused rat lung during negative pressure ventilation

Weight measurement represents a means of quantitating edema formation in isolated lungs and following its time course. During ventilation by negative pressure measurements with commonly used weight transducers are impossible because the pressure changes inside the artificial thoracic chamber affect the weight reading. Therefore, we have developed a weight transducer that can be used during negative pressure ventilation. Its design and applicability for assessing weight gain induced by various agents in the negative-pressure-ventilated isolated perfused rat lung is presented here.