Structural and functional characteristics of peripheral pulmonary parenchyma in golden hamsters

Mechanical properties of the peripheral pulmonary parenchyma of freshly excised hamster lung tissue were examined to evaluate determinants of displacement-tension relationships with regard to structural constituents of the alveolar wall. A tissue segment measuring 50 x 50 x 400-600 microns and consisting mostly of the alveolar wall was prepared from the lung parenchyma adjacent to the pleura. By use of a constant speed maneuver for extension and relaxation of this minute preparation, displacement-tension relationships of peripheral pulmonary parenchyma were examined in a bath filled with 37 degrees C physiological buffer solution. The specimen was repeatedly extended up to 20-40 mg, a little above a point resembling "yield" in displacement-tension relationships. Analyses of displacement-tension relationships constantly showed double exponential relations. The first component at the lower strain was approximated by sigma 1 = A1(e alpha 1 epsilon - 1) and the second component beyond the inflection (yield) point was sigma = s1 + s2 = A1(e alpha 1 epsilon - 1) + A2(e alpha 2 epsilon - 1), where sigma, A, alpha, and epsilon represent stress, constant determined by tissue quantity, elasticity constant, and strain, respectively. Immersion of the lung specimen into elastase resulted in decreases of only alpha 1, and collagenase reduced alpha 2 but not alpha 1. Hyaluronidase, acetylcholine, ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid, and norepinephrine did not alter alpha 1 or alpha 2. These observations suggest that alpha 1 and alpha 2 of the peripheral pulmonary parenchyma are mechanical indexes of elastin and collagen characters, respectively.